Ball of Sunshine
by onigiriri
Summary: Moeka first noticed him playing volleyball on his own in the corner of the gym and felt bad that he never had any proper practice partners. She never knew approaching him would lead to so many new relationships with a flock of crows. Hinata Shōyō x OC x Kindaichi Yuutarou.
1. 1 His name is Hinata Shōyō

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Haikyuu!. It is property of Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump & Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – His name is Hinata Shōyō.**

My name is Mogami Moeka, I'm 13 years old and am a 2nd Year at Yukigaoka Middle School. I'm currently a member of the Girls' Volleyball Club, and although I'm not a regular player who gets to take part in official matches, I still have fun every day at practice.

But lately, something's been bugging me.

There's… a boy who always practices spiking a ball against the wall in the corner of the gym our team uses, all on his own.

He's pretty small for a guy, but that's not the first thing I notice about him. It's his hair – a vibrant shock of orange.

So even though he's off in the corner it's pretty difficult to ignore him.

As far as I knew, our school didn't have a boys' volleyball team and if they did, well, wouldn't he be practicing with them?

* * *

I turned my attention away from the red-headed boy and approached my senpai, the vice-captain of our team, Hatsumi,

'Um, Senpai, I've been meaning to ask who the boy over there is? He's always been there, but I've never really thought to ask…' I asked her and she turned around to look at the boy too.

A girl in my year giggled, 'I had this theory, that maybe he's a ghost~' she said mischievously, brushing my bare arm lightly.

I shuddered, 'Cut it out, Micchan!' I whined at her. She knew I didn't like ghost stories…!

But judging from her giggles, she didn't seem to care, in fact, she liked that she was scaring me.

Hatsumi-senpai hummed, 'Oh, yeah. That's the boys' volleyball team's captain and only member, apparently,' she said with a small chuckle.

'Huh?! But how can you have a volleyball team with only one player? A team is composed of at least 6 people, plus a Libero, right?' Michiko asked, her brows rising towards her hairline.

'Yes, well, our faculty advisor mentioned it to us when he first came in last year. Apparently, even after hearing that there wasn't a boys volleyball club in our school, he was still adamant about making one. But nobody joined it last year - or this year either – so our coach felt bad about him practicing outside and let him use that corner to practice. The kid's never even played a match before, since he has no team-mates… Makes you wonder why he hasn't quit to join a different sports team yet!' Hatsumi-senpai explained and we listened intently.

Michiko hummed as if deep in thought, then gasped, adopting a eureka pose, 'Actually, I've seen him outside of practice too. He gets this guy from, I think it's the Basket Ball team to set the ball to him so he can practice spiking outside. And some other guy too sometimes, too!' she told us.

Hatsumi-senpai whistled, impressed, 'He might even work harder than some of the girls on our team! Too bad he still sucks, though.' She said, and I winced.

'He can't practice properly like that on his own. If only he had someone to practice consistently with…' I mumbled, feeling sympathetic towards the unnamed red-head.

Senpai hummed to herself, before a big smile adorned her face. She patted me roughly on the shoulder,

'Well, if you're so concerned over him, why don't you be his practice partner sometimes? I'm sure he could appreciate all the help he can get!' she said, and I jumped in surprise.

'Ehhh? B-But what about my own p-practice…?' I asked, flustered.

Michiko however, seemed to agree with senpai; 'You've been saying about how you wanted to try being a Setter right? You said Middle Blocker wasn't really for you.' She said, looking at me eagerly.

'I…!' before I could get another word out, Senpai swiveled me around against my will and gave me a good push.

I stumbled forward a few steps before regaining balance.

'For now, go introduce yourself to the guy and find out his name! Then, put forward the idea of helping him practice if things are going well! Don't worry, your senpai will cover for you for now,' Hatsumi-senpai said with a thumbs-up and a wink.

I hesitated, and I knew they could tell. After all, this was very sudden.

Didn't look like Michiko was going to let me get out of it though, as she gave me another light shove in the red-head's direction.

'Go on! Micchan will be silently cheering you on~' she said merrily. My cheeks turned a light pink, embarrassed.

'F-Fine, I'm going…!' I hissed out, and sighed, trying to regain my composure with light claps to my cheeks. Taking in a breath and breathing it out slowly to calm myself down, I set off towards the red-head's corner.

* * *

He didn't seem to have heard me coming, as he continued to toss the ball against the wall and then jump to clumsily hit it. After being spiked, it bounced off the wall and back past him and he began to turn, while I caught the ball for him.

'Oh…' he murmured, finally having noticed me.

I smiled and awkwardly wiggled my fingers at him as a sort of wave, 'Um, hey! Er, I noticed you're always playing over here, and…uhm,' I trailed off, wondering how I could continue speaking without inserting um's and er's everywhere.

While I floundered over my words, the boy spoke up,

'Y-Your club's faculty advisor said I was allowed to use this corner, so I'm not breaking any rules…! Please don't ask me to leave…!' he said, looking worried.

I widened my eyes, and waved my hands at him in denial, 'No, no! That's not what I came over to say!' I told him and he visibly relaxed, his tensed up shoulders slumping downwards again. I let out a breath, and smiled at him.

'I'll try again… My name's Mogami, Moeka. I'm a second year on the girls' team – I'm going for playing Setter this year since ours is graduating after this year. Um, I heard you were the boys' volleyball team..! Is that true? Th-that you're the only member?' I asked him.

He nodded exaggeratedly, looking passionate about this subject, 'That's right! I'm Hinata Shōyō, captain of the boys' volleyball club! Nice to meet you, Mogami-san!' he said, bowing his head slightly.

I hurriedly bowed in return.

'Um, I was going to ask what position you played, but… er, you're th-the only member…?' I trailed off awkwardly. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all… What if I hurt him somehow by saying that?

He didn't seem ruffled though.

He pointed to his chest, looking enthusiastic, 'I'm a Wing Spiker! I wanna be the Ace!' he said, then got shy all of a sudden, hunching over and rubbing the back of his head, 'But like you said… I'm the only member, so I can't play matches or really call myself any of those positions.' He added.

'Um, you're a second year, right? Maybe next year you'll get some first year members in?' I suggested.

He seemed to pick up at that, 'Yeah! I really hope some new people join next year! If we can get enough…! I really want to be able to play an official match next year!' he said.

'I hope you get some new people next year, too. Me too. I'd like to be a regular next year and play some official matches as well.' I agreed.

'You'll do it!' he said, confident. I blinked at him in surprise, and he continued, 'Sometimes I watch what you guys are doing, you know? You're pretty good, at least from what I can tell.' He said with a grin.

I blushed, 'I-I'm not that good!' I quickly denied his claim, and swallowed, 'B-But, um…' I paused, wondering how to word what I wanted to say.

Unfortunately, our little chat-time was up, as our Captain, Kaori finally joined us after finishing her meeting with her teacher that had delayed her, and saw me 'slacking off'.

'Mogami-san! Get over here! How're you gonna replace Hatsumi-san if you're off chatting up boys!?' she yelled at me and my face turned an even deeper shade of pink.

Hinata-kun had started blushing too, at Kaori-senpai's words.

Embarrassed at having been put on the spot, I bowed to Hinata quickly and said 'Let's talk again…!' in a hurried voice before returning the ball to him and rushing back to practice.

He caught it, not taking his eyes off my retreating form with still pink cheeks.

…

Returning to Michiko and our other players with rosy cheeks, I glared lightly at my classmate who wasn't holding back the amusement dancing in her eyes at all.

'So did you get his number~?' she asked teasingly and I slapped her roughly on the arm, to which she yelped. 'Okay, okay, sorry..! Did you at least get his name?' she appeased.

I sighed out lightly, trying to will the blood away from my pink cheeks somehow, and nodded, before replying;

'His name is Hinata Shōyō.'

* * *

 **And that's the first chapter! I hope you liked it. This is exciting - it's the first fan fiction I've written for over 6 years so I hope I did okay. I'll try to get another chapter written soon.**


	2. 2 Decisive Moment

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu does not belong to me. It is property of Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump & Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 2 – Decisive Moment.**

'Okay, so let's go over this one time to make sure you've totally got it.' Hatsumi said, grabbing a ball from the basket and passing it to me. She lifted her hands to above her head and put her fingers and thumbs into a triangle shape, 'You need to start by creating a triangle with your hands above you. And in the gap created with your fingers you…' she trailed off, urging me to finish.

'You should be able to see the ball coming through the gap… so it must be placed so that if your hands were not there… you'd be hit between the eyes by the ball.' I finished, looking to senpai for a nod or a shake of her head.

Hatsumi smiled, 'You've got it! Okay, we'll practice it more at tomorrow morning's practice after our run.' She said, asking for the ball back, to which I passed it back and it was returned to its basket.

It was then that the coach blew her whistle, 'All right, ladies! That's the end of practice for today. After cleaning up, please go get changed and be careful on your way home.' She said, and everyone began to dismantle volleyball nets or rush to the supply closet for brooms.

I was amongst those who went for brooms, but as I headed over to the closet I glanced over the shoulder to check on the boy I'd talked to for the first time today, Hinata Shōyō.

He looked like he was on the way over too. And not only that, but he was running over to me and waving when he noticed my eyes on him.

I turned away feeling strangely bashful at being caught staring.

'Mogami-san! Hey,' he greeted, entering the closet with me.

'Why're you helping too? I-I mean you're not part of our club so shouldn't you be exempt?' I mumbled.

'Ah, well the coach said this was the catch to using the corner of the gym. I had to help out with cleaning as well, even though I'm not in the girls' team.' Hinata explained, grabbing two brooms. He held one out to me and looked at me expectantly.

I grinned and took it from him, 'Couldn't get away, huh?' I asked him, teasingly.

'Nah! She's really scary when she wants to be,' Hinata said, looking as if he were calling up a bad memory. I laughed at him quietly.

And then I realised, I'd forgotten earlier about the whole 'be his training partner' idea Hatsumi and Michiko had saddled me with. Did I really have to do it? After all, I was the one who said I felt bad for him not having one, but I'd just met the boy! And was I really good enough to start giving advice…?

While I thought over my uncertainty and insecurities, I paused in my steps, and Hinata had noticed it when he ended up stepping into the gym alone. He leaned back into the closet to check up on me.

'Mogami-san? What's up with you?' he asked, and I jumped, snapping out of my thoughts.

'Um, it's nothing!' I said, rushing to catch up, 'Let's just get cleaning already,' I added quickly. Hinata nodded in agreement.

As we mopped the hall, I kept glancing at Hinata, wondering if I should say it; and if I did, how could I bring this up?

I decided to go with the conversational route, and see if I could fit it in,

'Um, so a friend on my team, Michiko, said she also saw you practicing out in the yard with another boy the other day. Do you do a lot of practice outside of here too?' I asked him.

'Well yeah, there's not a lot I can do on the corner on my own. I can't practice spiking for real unless someone sets the ball for me. Sometimes Izumi and Koji help out, but I guess I have to ask them a bunch of times first.' He said.

''Izumi' and 'Koji'?' I asked. Hinata nodded happily, a smile spreading across his face.

'Yeah they're my best friends. They're in my class. Izumi's in the basketball club, and Koji has soccer, but they still make time to help me out.' He said.

'You said you had to ask them a bunch of times…?' I asked.

'Yeah, but it's fine. They don't play volleyball, so maybe it's cause they don't know the sport as well that they're all hesitant. But they still help me out when they can!' Hinata said, looking happy.

I nodded, chewing my lip. Should I say it?

…

'G-Getting help from amateurs is…' I mumbled, then held my tongue… I didn't want to word it like that…! That's rude to his friends…! I'd even surprised myself at that comment, even if I hadn't finished it. I closed my eyes tightly.

'Eh? Mogami-san, what d'you mean 'getting help from amateurs is…'?' Hinata asked, leaning over slightly.

'I-I'm s-' I was cut off by Kaori-senpai.

'Come on, quit messing around! You can mop and talk at the same time, can't you?!' Kaori scolded us and we jumped to attention and began mopping again. Eventually, we were finished cleaning and were returning our mops to the closet. I'd had enough time to collect both my thoughts and my composure by then.

I called out to Hinata, and he turned, 'Um, I wanted to say sorry about how I worded that earlier. About your friends…' I said, and bowed my head low, 'I'm sorry!'

Hinata seemed surprised, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, 'I-It's okay! I guess they are, after all, that's what the word means, right? You could call me an amateur too. But… Just you watch! One of these days, I-I'll be great! Like the Small Giant!' he said loudly, and I stood back up straight. Something in his voice didn't sound entirely convincing, but I could see that he was determined nonetheless.

'Small Giant…?' I repeated the nickname he used, 'They use that term in professional sports a lot. Is that an athlete or something?' I asked him.

'He's my idol! He's smaller than other players, but he was their Ace of his high school volleyball team that made it to nationals a couple years ago. I watched him play on TV and he was like _whoosh_ as he jumped so high, and he spiked the ball like _kablam_! I wanna be like him some day!' Hinata said, suddenly even more energetic than before, which I hadn't thought possible.

'I see, s-so is that why you were so set on volleyball? E-Even if there's no club for boys here?' I asked him, and he nodded exaggeratedly.

'I only wish some people could've joined this year. Izumi and Koji can only do so much, and I hate bothering them all the time, but it's like…!' he paused, and looked conflicted as he put his broom away.

'It's all… you can do…?' I tried to finish his sentence. He nodded slowly. I gulped, putting my broom by his. I looked at him, with what I hoped was a supportive smile, but it probably looked a little forced. My heart was beating faster than usual due to nerves. Was I really doing this…?

Oh to hell with it…! I've been dancing around the idea of it since it was pushed on me. If I'm going to be a Setter when Hatsumi-senpai leaves for high school, I have to get better at making decisions! All right! L-let's do this!

'But it's not all you can do. There's someone else that can help you get better!' I said and Hinata looked at me with wide eyes and a slightly opened mouth, as if he was asking who, 'M-Me…! Actually, that's why I'd approached you earlier in practice. I w-was wondering if you'd like another person to help you...? S-Someone who plays volleyball already?' I threw out all I had to say before I had a chance to freeze up again and put it off.

I screwed my eyes shut, and my face felt hot. Ahhhh…. It'd be really embarrassing if he said 'thanks but no thanks' or something like that now…

Someone find me a hole so I can just crawl into it…

But instead of rejection, what I heard was…. A strange cry?

'Uuuuoooooaaahhhhh?!'

And I looked up, puzzled by the sound, to find Hinata looking at me with a wide-open mouth, hazel eyes that almost looked like they had stars twinkling in them, and flushed cheeks. His wide-open mouth curved into a wide grin,

'Mogami-san, you'll really help me!?' he asked me to clarify while I looked at him, taken aback by his sudden…. 'sparkliness' for a lack of a better word.

He looked really cute right now… but that's not important! I've come this far, and there's no backing out now.

I nodded, with a small grin, 'I-If you'll have me. I'm working on setting right now, but I can teach you other stuff l-like receiving and timing your jumps and stuff. I'm not really a wing spiker kind of person, so I can't give y-you tips for that… but maybe I can get my friend Michiko to help for that if I ask her… but umm… well... yeah!' My ending to my explanation could not possibly have gotten any more awkward than

'Awwwright!' Hinata leapt what must've been my entire height into the air, startling me, 'Thank you so much, Mogami-san! I swear you won't regret it," he said, still grinning widely at me.

Warmth filled my chest, and I shook my head bashfully to say it was fine.

Hatsumi-senpai's voice came in from outside, 'Hey, whoever is still in here, hurry up! I have to lock up the gym!' she said.

Hinata grinned at you one more time, before bidding you farewell, 'I'll see you tomorrow…! Oh, what class are you in…?' he asked at the last second, pausing in his departure. I went to join him at his side, and we kept walking out the gym.

'I'm in Class 2-4. What about you?' I asked him in return.

'Class 2-1.' He chimed back as we both exited the gym. As I passed Hatsumi at the door, she put her hand on my shoulder and leaned in to whisper.

'So did it all work out?' she asked me, and I nodded quietly, a small grin on my face. Hatsumi smiled, 'I'm glad you made your decision,' she said.

* * *

 **onigiriri: And another chapter is here! Thank you very much for all the favourites, follows and support so far! I hope you like this chapter too. I'd also really appreciate some feedback for so far if you have any. :3**


	3. 3 The Enabler

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Haikyuu!_ It is property of _Haruichi Furudate_ , _Weekly Shonen Jump_ & _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 3 – The Enabler.**

It was the day after I'd talked to Hinata for the first time. Since we were in different classes, I hadn't really seen him so far today so I'd had plenty of time to think about just how I was going to do this whole 'helping him with volleyball' thing. It had seemed so simple before I asked him if he wanted help; my thinking had been purely setting the ball for him to spike, and I'd thought it'd be great practice for my own form… but then while I was babbling at him yesterday, I'd said I'd help him with all sorts of things.

It wasn't like I was against helping him. After all, he was really enthusiastic about getting better, and enthusiasm can be a little infectious…

But as usual, I have my own insecurities… I was always a really shy girl, up until I started middle school. The only reason I'm not a complete social mess is all thanks to Michiko, who I made friends with on the first day.

Her mischievous, confident nature and the fact that she always had something to talk my ear off about slowly and surely coaxed me out of my shell, and here I am today…!

All that's good and all, but… I still have no confidence in my ability to teach others.

That's what's been bothering me today. It seems lots of things have been getting to me lately…

 _Brrrriiiinggg!_ The school bell drilled into my ear and I jumped. I hadn't realised that lunch was so close…!

That's another problem of mine. Getting lost in my thoughts…

I looked down at my notes and bit my lip. I hadn't managed to get down anything that sensei had said in the last 15 minutes…

After sitting there stewing in my thoughts a moment longer, I sighed out and resolved to get notes to copy from someone later. I got up from my seat and went to get my bento out of my bag from my cubby at the back of the classroom.

As I knelt down and began going through my bag, a voice surprised me.

'Mogami-san!'

Turning to the sound, I saw that in the doorway stood Hinata, this time dressed in our school's boys' uniform, a black gakuran. He seemed to have a cream coloured hoody underneath it, but that's to be expected since Fall is coming to and end right now and it's starting to get pretty cold.

I grabbed my bento and tucked my bag back into the cubby, and then got up and quickly approached Hinata, wondering what he wanted.

'What is it…?' I asked, keeping my voice low. I could already feel Michiko's gaze on the back of my head, and could almost sense the suggestive wiggling of her eyebrows.

I decided to brazenly ignore that.

Hinata had seemed to suddenly get a little shy; he rubbed the back of his head, 'I… was wondering if you'd like to eat lunch with me…?' he asked, and some other people seemed to tune in on that and looked our way. My eyes widened a little, my cheeks starting to feel a little warm.

Hinata back-tracked, realizing what that could imply, 'Ah! I meant with us, e-er I mean… with me, Izumi and Koji…! They're my friends, I told you about them yesterday…? The ones who help me practice spiking.' He explained.

My shoulders loosened, and I sighed out very slightly. So that's what he meant.

'O-Oh, right… Um, well Micchan—I mean Michiko and I usually eat together, so um…' I mumbled, trying to be thoughtful of my friend. She probably wouldn't like it if I just abandoned her for some guy I just met and his friends who I've never met.

'Oh… right… sorry I didn't think about that…' Hinata said, his voice low. He looked away, embarrassed at having not thought things through.

I felt a bad, but… things like this happen right?

'Oya oya…? Are you worrying about little ol' me, Moeka-chan?' Michiko suddenly slapped my back, surprising me so much that I nearly dropped my bento, and catching Hinata off guard too.

'Micchan…!?' I gasped at her, steadying my bento.

Michiko had a wide grin on her face as she looked at me, 'I totally don't mind if you eat with someone other than me!' she said forcefully, making sure I understood, 'I happened to forget my bento anyway today so I was going to go to the school store. While I do that, _you_ should go with Hinata-san to meet his friends and eat with them.' She added with a tone of finality in her words.

Once again I was getting pushed into things… and I couldn't exactly say I didn't want to go with Hinata. I just hadn't wanted to upset Michiko.

This is another thing Michiko has done for me since we met… it was even because of her that I managed to join the volleyball club…even though the captain, Kaori-senpai terrified me at the time.

Michiko is like… an enabler to me. She's great at making decisions, she's selfless, and she loves helping people.

It's probably why people are looking to make her captain next year…

I smiled at her, and nodded, 'Then, I'll go with Hinata-san today.'

Michiko nodded supportively, slapping my back a few times, 'Yeah you guys go have fun! Hey, Hinata-san, you should try Moeka-chan's little octopus-sausages. They're adorable _and_ delicious! Did you know she cooks her own bento~?' as Michiko continued to try to match-make for us, I started guiding Hinata out of my classroom and down the hall before she could embarrass me any more.

With a flustered expression, Hinata scratched his cheek as he looked back over his shoulder at Michiko who was leaning out of the doorway and waving us off.

'Your friend's… really weird.' Hinata mumbled.

'Tell me about it,' I laughed, trying to get over it, 'But she's great, really. She's always looking out for everyone.' I added, smiling, then paused, 'Um, I've been leading, but I don't actually know where abouts you and your friends are eating…' I trailed off, looking at him for answers.

'Oh! Right! We usually eat lunch on the roof, but since it's cold we're eating in our classroom today. This way!' he said, and began to guide me to Class 2-1.

* * *

 **onigiriri:** I hope you like it! ...I've noticed that I write a lot for a small amount of events, and that makes it so this story might drag a bit... so I'm considering making longer chapters! They might be longer starting with chapter 4 depending on what I decide. I'm leaning towards 'yes' but if you have objections and like it as it is, let me know. :)


	4. 4 A Little Brighter

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate_ , _Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – A Little Brighter.**

'This is my classroom, here,' Hinata said as he ushered me into the classroom for Class 2-1, which wasn't as far away from my own as I'd thought. At the sound of his voice, two boys raised their heads to look our way.

One of them had sharp eyes and spiky black hair, and had his gakuran opened up. He sat with his legs spread wide and had a relaxed posture, leaning on the table behind him. At the table he was leaning on, the other boy sat in a more reserved position, with his legs together and arms resting on the desk. He had short, curly light brown hair and eyes of the same colour, and his face was dotted with light freckles.

Upon seeing us, their eyes widened, and the spiky haired boy straightened his posture as we approached them.

Gesturing from me to the two boys, Hinata introduced us, 'Izumi, Koji, this is Mogami-san from the girls' volleyball team that I told you about earlier, remember? She came to eat with us!' he told his friends, and the two boys looked me up and down, still seeming a little stunned. It was a little unnerving if I was honest.

Hinata continued, unaware, 'Mogami-san, these are my friends, Yukitaka Izumi,' he said, gesturing to the light-haired boy, who nodded with a nervous smile; 'and this is Sekimukai Koji. They're the ones who've been setting the ball to me sometimes.' Hinata explained, and the dark-haired boy nodded as well, raising his hand to a lazy wave.

Hinata looked around a bit, and then got the attention of a classmate nearby, asking if he could take a seat for me, and then quickly pulled it over next to Koji, who shuffled out of the way.

Feeling more than a little awkward, I bowed my head to the two boys, who bowed their heads slightly in return, 'It's nice to meet you, Yukitaka-san, Sekimukai-san. I'm Mogami Moeka, from Class 2-4.' I introduced myself again, before taking a seat next to Sekimukai.

'Nice to meet you too,' they both repeated, still looking a little taken aback. We took out our bento, while trying to think about something to say to each other.

Hinata on the other hand didn't seem bothered at all, already feeling more at ease now that we were with his friends.

While munching on some of the spring rolls from his bento, he started speaking animatedly about how I was going to help him spike volleyballs, and so on. Eventually, the conversation took off, and Sekimukai and Yukitaka started to relax, even smiling, and laughing with Hinata.

I felt a little like I was intruding, even though Hinata invited me. It was clear to me that these guys had a close knit friendship, and even though Hinata had said that he'd had to pester them a lot to help him, it was clear to me that they did care about him and want to help him.

I couldn't help the small smile on my face, and before the bell went to signal the end of lunch break, I managed to join in on the conversation a little too. Lunch came to an end, and I closed up my now empty bento and got up from my seat. Bowing to the boys in thanks for letting me eat with them, I excused myself to head back to my classroom.

Hinata stopped me on my way to say, 'I'll see you after classes at the gym, okay?' and he gave me a smile.

I nodded shyly back, 'Yeah. I'll see you later!' I replied with a smile, and with that, I was on my way.

* * *

Classes seemed to drag over for the rest of the day, but luckily, I didn't zone out again and managed to get my notes written properly. While we were changing into our volleyball clothes, Michiko wouldn't stop teasing me about how this time I was the one zoning out in class, but she agreed to share her notes with me so it was worth it.

As soon as practice starts, we always begin with a 10-15 minute jog around the school campus to warm up, and Hinata waved us off before quickly getting to his usual routine of spiking the ball against the wall. This time though, he seemed more anxious than focused. Maybe it was because he knew I'd be helping him out today.

Our jog was over faster than usual, and when we made it back into the gym, Hinata was already running over to where Michiko, Hatsumi, a few other girls and I were getting a drink.

'Mogami-san! Are you ready?' he asked me, and I turned to him.

A few other girls looked over curiously from their drinks, wondering what he was talking about. Michiko decided to fill them in.

'Since Moeka-chan's getting into Setting, she decided to help Hinata-san with his practice…' as Michiko continued explaining, I guided Hinata to one of the nets. With a small smile, I watched as his eyes lit up and his mouth popped slightly open.

'We're gonna use the nets?" he asked, sounding surprised. He glanced over at our senpai and the coach. I patted his shoulder.

'This isn't just practice for you, Hinata-san. It's also helping me practice setting. Since it's like that, Hatsumi-senpai said she talked Kaori-senpai and Coach Tezuka into it. So, yes, we're using the net!' I told him, and I watched a big smile spread across his face.

He literally jumped with joy, 'Aw'right!' he cheered, while I pointedly stared. Once again, he'd jumped nearly my full height. Can he seriously jump that high consistently? If so, that's impressive!

'W-What…?' he stammered, having noticed my stare.

'I-It's nothing! Just, you can jump pretty high huh? That's a great start, for volleyball.' I replied and he responded well.

He rubbed the back of his head, looking self-conscious, but decidedly pleased.

'R-Really, ya think? That makes me happy…' he mumbled. I giggled a bit at how modest he was being right now.

'Yep! Anyway, shall we get started…?' I asked, and picked a ball out of the nearby basket and held it out to him. Hinata nodded rapidly, and took the ball. 'I'm still getting used to setting, but I'll do my best. Just throw the ball up to above my head and start your run up right after. I'll set it to you!' I said and he nodded, taking the ball and running to his position.

After tossing the ball up to me like I asked, he began running towards the net quickly. I turned my attention to the ball above me, and just like how Hatsumi-senpai showed me, I put my fingers and thumbs into a triangle shape, placing my sight of the ball right in between the eyes.

Okay, here goes…!

I set the ball, and it went up like Hatsumi-senpai said it would. My mini-internal-celebration was interrupted, when Hinata's form came into my viewpoint, and time seemed to slow down.

My eyes widened, and my mouth fell open as he leapt into the air at a speed that made it seem like he were taking off. His arm was raised and pulled back taught, aiming for the volleyball.

And then before I knew it, _Smack_! _Bam_! The ball bounced harshly up from the ground on the other side of the net. I looked over to it as it bounced slightly again and then began rolling away, surprised.

It had all happened so fast. Was it always like this for Setters? Or is it just because it's Hinata…?

I looked back at him, to find him staring at his stinging hand and grinning, 'So cooool…!' he cried, and turned to me, making me jump, 'Can we do it again?!' he asked me, oblivious to how I was feeling.

It took me a moment to collect myself, but when I did, I grinned.

'Of course! This is practice for both of us, so we're gonna keep doing this!' I agreed, and Hinata cheered, going to get the ball back. As I watched him go, I grinned.

Yep, Hinata was probably going to become something special. All he needed was a nudge in the right direction and the right kind of help.

And I wanted to be a part of that.

* * *

So we continued to practice for the next few days, and Hinata and I were getting more used to Setting and Spiking together. It really had been a good idea to approach Hinata. His enthusiasm was contagious, and so I ended up practicing Setting for longer than I would have otherwise. It was surprisingly fun, especially seeing Hinata's expression after he got a ball in on the other side.

Though, that had stopped today. Now he seemed more frustrated and competitive, because this time he had an opponent on the other side.

Michiko had started joining in with us, practicing her receives on the other end of the court. She'd been catching a lot of his spikes, something Hinata hadn't encountered yet.

Wiping my brow clear of sweat, I let out a breath, 'Hinata-san, do you want to give it a rest with spiking for now?' I asked him and he turned to me with an intense expression.

'What?! No, I can do it! I swear I can! I've almost got it, I'm sure of it! Just a little more…' he said, gritting his teeth and frowning over at Michiko, who didn't seem bothered by his chagrin.

I laughed quietly, 'It's fine, Hinata-san. I was just thinking how we've been doing nothing but spiking for the past few days. I wondered if you'd like to try other things, like receiving. Volleyball's not all about scoring points after all – as you saw Micchan do, volleyball's about preventing the opponent from scoring too.' I explained.

'Oh,' Hinata's frown receded and he seemed to relax; he nodded determinedly, 'Let's do that then!' he agreed and I nodded back to him.

'By the way, do you know how to receive?' I asked him, and he shook his head saying he'd seen us doing it but he'd never actually paid attention to what we'd been doing with our arms. I nodded, and beckoned him over.

'Okay first your legs should be apart about the same width as your shoulders go to, and your knees bent slightly but not too much. You should lean over slightly, and your arms need to be about this much apart like this,' I demonstrated for him, bringing my arms about a half a foot apart hanging down in front of my legs.

Hinata imitated the position, glancing to my form, then back at himself several times.

'At the last moment, when the ball's about to reach you, you bring your hands together to create a kind of 'platform', with the back of your thumbs facing upwards, and the rest of your fingers tucked in underneath.' I explained, putting my hands together like I said.

Nodding several times and muttering, 'like this?' Hinata copied me.

'That's right! You should arch your shoulders a bit too. But don't lock up too much, because you need to be ready to move and bring the ball up so the Setter can get it, or someone else can bump it to them.' I explained, and got up to check Hinata's stance.

I began adjusting his position slightly, awkwardly moving his arms a bit.

'From there, it's all about your timing. You have to swing your arms up at the right time to get the ball. And it's important that you're standing at the right point. If the ball's going too fast and a bit higher up, it might end up hitting your shoulders instead, or even your face. And that would be bad. You could hurt yourself, or the receive could fail and end in the opponents getting a point.' I told him. 'Um… did you get all that? I'm sorry, if I hit you with too much information at once…!' I said hurriedly, grabbing my hand in the other and fiddling with them anxiously.

Hinata shook his head, his expression serious, taking it all in.

'No, it's all good! Only…. Um, actually, could you say it again?' he asked, his serious expression morphing into an abashed one.

Looks like it _was_ too much all at once after all.

Giving a light smile, I nodded, and proceeded to explain it again step by step. We ended up going over it a couple of times, before Michiko came over and offered to do a serve to let Hinata try receiving it.

Hinata was all for it, albeit a bit nervous. I stood off to the side a bit, and raised my clenched hands in front of my chest with a supportive nod.

'You can do it, Hinata-san! Just relax, and remember what I said about the timing. If it looks like the ball is flying too high for you, move back a bit and get into position again.' I called to him as Michiko prepared to serve outside the court on the other end of the net, bouncing the ball against the ground a few times.

'Got it!' Hinata said, determined, and he got into position.

'I'm gonna serve…!' Michiko said, and threw the ball up to serve. Hinata tensed up.

'Hinata-san, relax!' I hissed to him, as Michiko hit her serve and the ball came flying over to our side the moment after.

Getting his arms and hands into position, Hinata watched the volleyball like a hawk, and it quickly came down in front of him. He swung his arms up to catch the ball like I'd shown him, and his movements were good for his first try. But the ball hit on an angle off his arm, and it flew towards me.

Hinata and I yelped, but I managed to duck away in time.

'I-I'm sorry…! I dunno what went wrong-!' he cried, 'Are you okay, Mogami-san?!' he asked me, and I laughed, waving it off.

'Don't mind, Hinata-san! That was good for your first try! Y-You were just unlucky is all. Your movements were right. You just need to practice it.' I told him.

Michiko agreed, coming over, 'Moeka-chan's right! Not bad, shrimpy~' she grinned at Hinata, and Hinata flushed.

'My name's Hinata! Hinata Shōyō!' he corrected her. She only laughed and ruffled his hair. Hinata brushed her hands away, pouting. I laughed at the two of them, and while Michiko joined in, Hinata's pout only got bigger.

It'd barely been a week, but things were going well so far. Ever since I started helping Hinata practice, I feel like practices have been more fun than usual. Not only that, my Setting is coming along ok. I've been getting along with Hinata well, too.

Sucking in a breath and letting it out, I spoke up, smiling; 'Hey, let's try it again Hinata-san! Are you up for another serve, Micchan?' I asked them. They both nodded in agreement and we continued practicing until the sky grew pitch black, and the coach called out for practice to be over.

* * *

After getting changed, Michiko rushed off to catch the last bus, waving back at Hinata and I as she did. It struck me as different that Hinata hadn't rushed off as well on his bicycle. This time, he stuck by me, walking alongside me as he pushed his bike along.

I turned to him, 'This is new... Isn't your house further away than mine?' I asked him curiously, tilting my head as I adjusted my sports bag on my shoulder.

'Well I thought, isn't it getting darker lately? It's already October… I didn't feel right about letting you walk alone in the dark…' he explained, keeping his eyes facing forward.

I smiled, 'My house isn't that far away. But that's sweet of you, Hinata-san.' I replied, my heart warmed at his gesture.

Hinata pretended his cheeks weren't starting to blush, and continued, 'And I kinda wanted to talk to you too,' he added, and looked at you, 'I never would've expected you of all people to offer to help me. 'Cause you seemed kinda shy!' he added quickly.

Looking back forwards, he continued, 'I've been trying on my own since I started with volleyball, but I never really knew what I was doing, 'cause I didn't have anyone to show me. All I could do was throw a ball at a wall and try to hit it right. And like today, I finally got to learn how to bump a ball up! I never would've got the technique down if it weren't for you, Mogami-san!' he said with an excited smile, glancing at me again.

I blushed, 'E-Eeehh? W-Were my instructions okay…?' I asked, feeling really shy at the compliment.

Hinata nodded, 'Yeah, they were great! You even didn't get annoyed when I didn't totally get it the first time!' he replied, and looked up, smiling, 'So far it'd just been me, and Izumi and Koji when they had the time, but I feel like now I'm _really_ making some progress. And next year…!' he paused, and turned to face me.

'Next year, I'm going to get some new recruits from the 1st years coming in, and I'm definitely gonna play an official match! Just watch me!' he said, and I smiled and nodded.

'I will! I'll be right there cheering for you.' I agreed, and Hinata grinned happily. I paused, 'Well, if the boys' and girls' matches aren't at the same time, I will. I'll definitely try, at least.'

Hinata nodded, 'Yeah, that's right. You'll be playing official games next year too. Let's both do our best!' he said, holding out a closed fist to me. I looked at it for a moment, wondering what he wanted me to do.

After a moment, I curled my hand into a fist and held it out to him, and he quickly knocked his knuckles against mine and nodded, turning back to face forwards.

Adjusting my sports bag again, I held onto the strap, smiling to myself secretly. Lord knows if Michiko had been here she'd have definitely teased me for this goofy grin.

But I don't care. Even though it's been getting darker, sooner than usual, due to the incoming winter, it feels like my life's gotten a little brighter.

I guess it's all thanks to Hinata.

* * *

 **onigiriri: Thanks for reading another chapter of this story. I decided to start making the chapters longer, so I hope you enjoyed it! There are still a few more chapters set pre-Karasuno, but Yukigaoka vs Kitagawa Daiichi is coming up soon!**

 **I'd really appreciate any feedback or support you could give me. Thank you!**


	5. 5 This Year an Official Match

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate_ , _Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – This Year, An Official Match.**

You know the saying 'Time flies, when you're having fun'? I'd never really thought about it, but it seems the saying really does have some legitimacy to it.

Sure, I'd always had fun with Volleyball before. I wouldn't have stuck with it for so long if I didn't enjoy it after all! But even with how much I enjoyed it, time flowed at a normal, sedate pace.

There could be a few reasons time's going quicker than usual. I've been more involved in the team – what with Hatsumi-senpai preparing me to be the new Setter for next year and all. There's been so much to get ready for, and I've been giving it 100%.

But there's also another reason. One that as usual, Michiko's been teasing me about. Hinata Shōyō.

Practicing with Hinata has been really fun, and it's always made me excited for the end of the school day, so we could continue practicing. He's just… so excited and happy, and I guess it rubs off on me.

But anyway… Back to talking about the 'Time Flies' saying - It really did fly by! Before I knew it, the New Years' shrine visits had come and passed, as had the school year.

And so, here I was, on the morning of my first day as a Middle School Third-Year. There're a lot of things to think about this year. Like exams for high-school… How this year I'd be vice-captain of the girls' team and Michiko the captain… The unnerving responsibilities that came with it and how I'd handle the new first-years… And playing in official games…!

Oh, and of course… the anticipation of whether or not Hinata's dreams would come true this year. Would he get some new players this time from the first years? Or would he be left for another year, disappointed, with nobody to play with in a real game…?

I scrunched my face up into a displeased expression. I definitely didn't want Hinata to go through that this year. He played the cheerful act, but there was _no way_ it didn't bother him.

Right now, I was helping Michiko and a few other girls on our team hand out sign-up flyers to incoming first-years. We'd been at it for 30 minutes, and gotten about 5 or 6. Not bad, but not good either… But it didn't damage our chances of playing official games this year – we'd have enough players from the second and third-years alone, but just barely. It was when us third-years graduated that it'd be a problem... is Volleyball just not that popular in our town…? It's a shame.

There's also the fact that the tennis club is stealing all our potential new recruits with their obnoxious, flashy campaigning.

'Mogami-san!' a voice interrupted my thoughts, and I looked over to see Hinata, a bunch of sign-up flyers in his hands. It looks like he was handing out flyers on his own, too. Yukitaka and Sekimukai must have been helping out their own clubs…

As Hinata ran up to me, I noticed. I noticed the thrilled, excited expression on his face as he frantically waved at me. My eyes widened… could this mean…?!

'Mogami-san…!' Hinata said again, and paused to catch his breath, bending over to put his hands on his knee-caps. After he'd caught his breath, he stood up and shoved the papers towards me eagerly, 'Look, look…! Some first-years signed up to the boys club…! Look! _Three of them!_ ' he enthused, shoving the papers closer to my face, as if that'd help me see them better. Both Michiko and I chuckled at his glee.

I pleased grin spread across my face, as I took the papers to have a look at them, 'That's great, Hinata-kun…! You definitely look happy.' I said to him, and Hinata nodded and grinned, taking them back.

'Obviously! Now the Boys' Volleyball Team has 4 members!' he replied, 'Of course, we still need another 2 members to play official matches - I know that! But get this, you see this guy here…?' he pointed to one of the papers, 'He says he's going to ask a couple of his friends if they'd like to join with him, since he was nervous about joining on his own!' he explained.

Michiko laughed, 'Well I hope that works out for ya! Oh, hello! We're the girls volleyball team…!' she abruptly turned away to hand out more papers to people who were approaching her.

I smiled to Hinata, 'That's great news, Hinata-kun. But you should keep trying to get more people too, just incase that guy can't convince his friends to join, ok?' I told him.

' _Ossu_!' Hinata cheered, and with a spring in his step, he was off again. I smiled at his retreating form. He was really, truly happy. I get the feeling he'd still be pleased even if there were only three members to play with him.

My smile slipped, and I sighed out.

I still hoped that he managed to get another two people though. After all, this would be his last chance to play an official match in middle school. If he didn't make it, he'd have to wait another year to finally get to play…

I know, for a guy like Hinata who loves Volleyball so sincerely, another year like that would definitely be hard to swallow…

* * *

We'd ended up getting another 2 first years before we had to head to our classes, which was good. As I went through my lessons for the day, I kept wondering if Hinata managed to recruit any more people for the boys' team. I learnt at lunch break when Michiko and I went to eat with Hinata, Sekimukai and Yukitaka that nobody else had joined up, and the first year boy hadn't gotten back to him yet.

That left waiting until after school club activities to find out what happened from Hinata. I even found myself getting nervous, as I got changed and ready in the changing rooms.

Michiko noticed, and slapped my back as if to slap some sense into me.

'Stop stressing out about it for now, ok? There's nothing you can do to help Hinata with this kind of thing. _He's_ the boys' team captain, after all. It's his business. _We_ however, have our own business to get on with, _Vice-Captain_ ~' she drawled, and I nodded, knowing she was right.

We had 7 first-years to introduce to the team today. I knew Michiko was right, and I had to be focused, and make a good impression as a senpai and the vice captain to our new girls.

Hinata would be fine...! He had a way of rubbing off his enthusiasm on others after all – so I'm sure he's managed to get the number up to 5!

With a reassured nod, I turned and followed Michiko out to greet our new members.

* * *

It wasn't until later, that we'd done all our introductory tasks and ice breakers with the girls, and had gotten the beginners started on learning how to receive and bump properly.

As I was about to go over and join in and help with the first years after getting a drink, Michiko stopped me with a hand on my shoulder and pulled me in close.

'Now's your chance to go check on Hinata,' she told me and I looked at her in surprise; she laughed, 'It's been written all over your face for the entire practice. Even the other girls could tell! That's why they're helping the first years out, so you can step out and check up on Hinata and the boys' team. So, go on!' she said, and pushed me towards the gym door.

I stumbled, and paused, looking back over my shoulder with a grateful look; 'Thanks, Micchan!' I said to her, before taking off towards the second gym where Hinata was meeting his team. As I walked up to the door, I felt disconcerted at the lack of voices and sounds of volleyballs hitting the ground.

Well… there was the sound of volleyballs hitting the ground. The sounds of a single player, playing alone…

I gulped, and slowly made my way up the steps to the door way, and with some trepidation, I pulled the sliding door open. The light spilled out of the gym over me, and he came into my line of vision.

Hinata was practicing alone again.

I pursed my lips, as a pang shot through my heart. I quickly stepped into the gym, calling out to him; 'Hinata-kun…!'

He stopped what he was doing and looked over to me, surprised, 'Eh? M-Mogami-san, what're you doing here…?' he asked, sounding stunned. He quickly recovered, and ran over to me, picking the ball up as he did. My eyes started to dew up at the edges, and I pursed my lips together, trying to hold them back.

I hastily brought arm up to wipe my eyes, and as I did, I heard another voice to my side. It didn't come from Hinata.

'Eh? A girl came to see senpai…?' a high-pitched, nervous-sounding voice sounded, and I turned to look as Hinata joined me.

There, sitting at the side of the gym, were three first year boys. I felt most of the tension slip away as I began remembering the three sign-up forms Hinata had showed me earlier on today. So they had joined after all…! What a relief…

Hinata noticed my gaze, and how I'd calmed down a bit, and he said to me; 'Ah, these are the three first-years I told you about this morning! Their names are Mori, Kawashima and Suzuki.' He introduced them one by one, and each nodded in greeting at their names, getting up to come over to us.

Hinata then gestured to me with a grin, introducing me to the boys; 'This is Mogami-san. She's a third year like me, and is the vice-captain of the girls' volleyball team. She's really helped me a lot when it was just me on the boys' volleyball team!' He said, sounding almost proud.

I blushed and bowed to the boys in greeting, feeling a little put on the spot. 'It's nice to meet you.' I told them politely, and they nervously repeated it in response.

I turned to Hinata tentatively, 'Um… these aren't all of them, right? You said one of them was going to bring some friends…?' I asked, hopefully. But as the light in Hinata's eyes died a little, I felt my stomach sink in dread.

One of the boys spoke up, fiddling with his fingers, 'I-I'm sorry… I tried to talk to Hayashi-kun and Tosaka-kun, but… they already had plans of joining the baseball club, so they didn't wanna join with us.' he explained, looking visibly apologetic.

I felt my shoulders sag. So that's it…? Hinata did manage to get some new members so that was call for celebration in itself, but… they were only a 4-man club. There was no way they could play an official game like this…

I looked to Hinata in worry, only to find him wearing an optimistic smile.

He put his hands behind his head and sighed out, 'Well baseball is pretty popular in Japan so it can't be helped, huh? I'm still really happy that you guys joined me this year, so it's all good!' he said and the boys looked like they had mixed feelings about it all.

On one hand they were glad their captain wasn't depressed, but at the same time, they looked worried for the future of the club they'd joined.

I wondered if it'd be a good idea to reiterate the point of needing 6 people to play an official match…because of course, I knew that Hinata knew that too, and he was just trying to put on a strong face for his new kohai…

He suddenly looked at me again with a determined look and I jumped as he spoke, 'We're both definitely going to play an official match this year! So… we're counting on your help, Mogami-san!' he said, bowing dramatically to me.

He then quickly gestured to the first years to join him, to which they nervously copied his bowing position, a little lost.

'E-Eh…?' I yelped, caught off guard.

Hinata stood up straight again, and looked at me expectantly, 'You'll be helping me this year, too, right?' he asked, and I stared at him. He seemed to realise something just then, and spoke again, 'Y-You are…right?' he asked again, looking a little scared.

With a light grimace, I sunk into thought…

This year, I was vice-captain of the girls' team. I had responsibilities that I didn't have last year – a responsibility to look after my kohai in the girls' team, like Hatsumi-senpai and Kaori-senpai had for me. It was thanks to Hatsumi-senpai that I even approached Hinata in the first place after all. I had to be there for my team in the same way, starting this year…

But… I didn't want to just abandon the dynamic that had formed between Hinata and I. I liked practicing with Hinata, liked _being_ with him. I wanted to keep cheering him on, keep encouraging him and keep helping him improve.

He's improved so much over the past 5 months we've known each other. He got receiving down after a while, though he sometimes still has little hiccups here and there. Michiko and I had also helped him work on his serving form, and he's become pretty good at spiking, though he hasn't worked up a variety of different spikes just yet. Michiko couldn't spare enough time to teach him anything last year, seen as though Kaori-senpai had taken her under her wing, grooming her for captaincy, and this year, she'd probably not have any time to spare at all.

There wasn't really a lot I could show him myself, after all I wasn't anyone outstanding myself. All I could teach him is Setting, and he's set on being a Wing Spiker after all.

And yet… I wanted to keep helping him…! My new position could get in the way of that, but… I'm sure there's got to be a way. I'm sure Michiko would encourage me to keep helping him too.

I'm the team's official setter now, and the vice-captain. I need to be a decisive person, and a good role model for our kohai too. That includes the kohai of Hinata's team too.

I gave them an encouraging smile, 'I know you guys have just joined, and maybe you're not very experienced in volleyball, but it looks like your captain already has high expectations for his team. It's probably going to be rough, but I know you guys will try your very best.' I said to them, and they flinched in surprise.

They nervously stood to attention, and chorused ' _O-Ossu…!_ ' back at me.

I looked over to Hinata, who watched me with wide eyes and open mouth, and I smiled at him supportively, 'I have a lot of responsibilities to live up to with the girls' team this year, so I won't have as much time as I did last year to help out. But I'm not just going to leave you behind. Especially not if you're going to be playing in official games this year, right?' I asked him and that twinkle in his eyes returned.

He began smiling again, 'O-Ossu! We definitely will! I'll make it happen, for sure!' he agreed, clenching his fists excitedly. He bowed his head low again, 'When you can come… We'll be in your care!' he said, and the first years joined him, stuttering out the same words to me.

I smiled widely, and nodded to them in agreement.

'Let's all do our best this year, for the Spring Tournament!'

* * *

A week and a half managed to slip by after both the boys and girls' teams had gotten their new first-year team members, and I'd spent my time training with and getting to know my team's kohai. We had a few beginners this year, but most of them were familiar with the sport to a point. It looked like we already had a promising new Setter for when I graduated, but she's not quite there yet. We had a full year to get her there, though!

I'd also been popping out every odd day to help Hinata and the boys' team, thanks to Michiko's assistance in getting Coach Tezuka's permission to do so. It seems she didn't take much convincing – Hinata must've wormed his way into Coach's heart and gained her sympathy too.

I'd helped him run a volleyball crash-course for Mori, Kawashima and Suzuki, teaching them the basics of how to receive, bump, block, serve and spike. They were improving bit by bit, and breaking out of their nervous shells a little.

They even began trying to make conversation with Hinata and I, which was a good sign. Maybe this team could work out… I just wondered how Hinata was going to bag a spot in the official qualifiers as he was though…

I was going to ask him that today, after I found a time to sneak out of practice and head over to the 2nd Gym…but it looked like today, he was going to come to me.

When he burst through the doors with a loud _bang_ I ended up missing my toss to a 2nd year girl in shock, when he shouted out something to me, that I didn't catch completely.

I apologised to the annoyed 2nd year and turned to Hinata with a confused expression.

'Hinata-kun…wh-what did you say…?' I asked him, jogging over to him. I only caught a bit of it, but it couldn't have been what I _thought_ I heard…right?

Hinata was practically vibrating, a big grin on his face. Behind him, Mori, Kawashima and Suzuki leaned into the doorway shyly, bowing their heads in apology for the interruption.

Coach Tezuka was coming over to scold him, but before she could get a word in, Hinata spoke.

'We got a spot on the line-up for the Spring Qualifiers! We're gonna play in an official match!' he said, unable to hide his excitement. I was shocked to say the least.

'Wh-Whaaaat…?'

My voice echoed throughout the gymnasium.

* * *

 **onigiriri: Sorry for the cliff-hanger this time...! I went overboard on the writing today and ended up reaching my word-limit. It's because I'm so excited - the first episode of Haikyuu Season 3 came out finally, after such a long wait! It was amazing~ Feel free to fan-girl alongside me! ^.^**

 **I hope you liked this chapter! Next time, some familiar faces!**


	6. 6 The King of the Court

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 6 – The King of the Court.**

This was unbelievable… could it be considered a miracle…? What Hinata had just said…

' _We got a spot on the line-up for the Spring Qualifiers! We're gonna play in an official match!'_

'B-But _how_?! You only have four—' I began, but Hinata hastily cut me off, by continuing.

'I got Izumin and Koji to help out! They said that since their teams' seasons would be over by the time mine came around, they'd help out! Isn't that great?!' he asked, the jubilant tone in his voice undeniable.

A smile crept onto my face, and I nodded, 'It is! Congratulations, Hinata-kun!' I agreed, and he laughed happily; 'But about Yukitaka-kun and Sekimukai-kun playing… is that even allowed?' I asked, confused.

'Well, they talked to their clubs about it and they said that as long as it didn't get in the way of their matches, it was fine to miss a day or two for the volleyball tournament. So, yeah! Oh, and we're gonna have to show Izumin or Koji how to set a ball. I don't know how to… S-So could you help out?' he asked me.

'I don't see why not. But not right now. We can make arrangements tomorrow with them.' I nodded, as Michiko joined us.

'But the boys' tournament is in a week, right? Will you guys be all right?' she asked them, frowning.

Hinata nodded, 'I have faith in Mogami-san's teaching!' he said and I blushed hotly, and Michiko chuckled at me; 'And Izumin's pretty good at picking things up quickly!' he replied. It was then that Coach Tezuka who had been standing near us finally had enough of our idle chatter.

'It's great news that your team will get to play in official matches, Shōyō-kun… However….' She trailed off, and it suddenly became very noticeable that she was pissed off, 'DON'T JUST INTERRUPT OTHERS' PRACTICE LIKE THAT! YOU'RE A THIRD-YEAR NOW, SO STOP RUNNING AROUND SHOUTING LIKE A CHILD!' she yelled at Hinata, who nearly outright screamed, and ducked to cower behind me.

'Uhhh… Hinata-kun, shall we discuss this at another time? You'd better get back to the 2nd Gym with your team.' I told him, laughing nervously. Hinata rapidly nodded, and bolted out of the gym, rapidly bowing several times in apology. And with that he was gone.

Coach Tezuka visibly brightened, and clapped her hands together a few times, 'Okay, now that that's over with, everybody get back to practice! The Girls' qualifiers start in two weeks after all, so we can't spare even a little time on any distractions!' she said, and we all chorused out affirmatives.

Coach Tezuka was not one to cross, that's for sure.

* * *

One week went by unbelievably quickly. It almost felt like it would be impossible for the boys' team to be ready in time for their first match, especially when 5 out of 6 of them were complete newbies to volleyball, and the other was still shaky on technique.

But somehow we managed to get them to a point where they at least had some idea what they were doing. The first-years were finally starting to get the hang of receives, and were coming along in learning the in's and out's, and Yukitaka-kun had picked up Setting reasonably well, given the short time-frame given.

The day of the tournament arrived and the bus ride to the gymnasium the games were held at was a long and tense one. Everyone was really nervous, including myself. Except Hinata, who was excited enough for all of us. The nerves didn't seem to have set in just yet, because all the boy could think about was getting on that court.

When we arrived, we gathered in the hall just outside the gym Yukigaoka's team's first match was appointed to take place in, and I was standing there with them, doing my best to give them a pre-match pep-talk.

Hinata looked like he really wanted to just go inside and play already, so I decided to keep it brief. Since the boys' team didn't have a proper coach to do this, it was up to me to get them pumped up as best I could.

'I know this is a nerve-wracking experience for a lot of you, and you're probably worried about how this is going to go. But the most important thing to remember is that you're not going out onto that court on your own. Like with Soccer and Basketball,' I glanced to Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun with a smile, 'Volleyball is a _Team Sport_ and each other player is there to support you and cover for your mistakes. It goes without saying that you need to look out for your teammates too. Trust should go both ways, and I know you guys will all look out for each other out there, as best you can.' I said, and the boys nodded.

They were all still pretty nervous, but they seemed to have calmed down a little bit at least.

'I can't really preach about how I've played in lots of official matches before so it gets less scary the more you do it, because I don't know that. I'm as new to official matches as you guys are, and I'm super nervous for my first match next week too. And that's ok! It's okay if you're nervous, because that means you want to do your best, and not make mistakes, and that's only natural. But it's also natural to make mistakes, because that's how you learn and improve. What you need to make sure you do the most today is to have fun, and make some good memories. I'll be cheering you all on from the stands, and I know you'll do great out there – because you've all tried very hard and improved so much over these past few weeks. So…' I trailed off, and turned to Hinata, 'Does Captain-san have anything to say to his team?' I asked him, smiling.

Hinata jumped to attention, and yelled out a 'Ossu!', before coming over to stand by me and turn to his team.

'First, I wanna say thank you to all you guys, for coming with me today. I know I sprang it on you guys really quickly.' He said with a nervous laugh and Sekimukai-kun snorted and nodded in agreement.

'Ever since I saw Karasuno's Small Giant play a few years ago, it's been a dream of mine to play Volleyball in an Official Match. I tried so hard and got nowhere for a year and a half until Mogami-san came along, and then the first-years came along and became my very first teammates! And Izumin and Koji, I can't thank you guys enough for joining us for this. It's cause of you guys that we can be here at all.' He said and his two friends flushed at being put on the spot like that.

I giggled as Sekimukai-kun grumbled bashfully and Yukitaka-kun fiddled with his thumbs nervously.

Hinata finished, with a sunny grin, 'So let's get out there and play Volleyball!' he said, putting his hand in for a team cheer. Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun joined first, and the first-years joined in next. They gave a mixed cheer, most of them subdued, and Hinata loud and enthusiastic.

They began towards their gym, waving me off as they went.

'Hey, Mogami-san! Make sure you watch us!' Hinata said excitedly, and I nodded, waving a little.

'Yukitaka-kun!' I called after the freckled boy, and he jumped, glancing back; I smiled encouragingly, 'You'll do great! You did really well learning Setting so fast so don't worry!' I told him and he gave a small smile, nodding to me and continuing after the others.

I let out a sigh, and looked around for the stairs up to the stands with a hum. Spotting the sign showing the way, I began on my way to watch Hinata's team's match.

On my way, I had to step out of the way of another team and I faltered when I saw them. They towered over me, in their white and navy-blue jerseys, and they had serious, focused expressions. I caught sight of a boy with his black hair all spiked upwards, and read the school on the back of his Jersey…

 _Kitagawa Daiichi…_

Even the Girls' Volleyball circuit knew about that team, because they produced a lot of excellent players. The other year there was that Setter who won Best Setter award, though that guy was in high school now. And this year they had some sort of genius prodigy Setter. Someone like me just doesn't match up to that level of skill…

Man, what an intimidating aura they give off… Hopefully, they're not the team Hinata is facing…

* * *

But it turned out that that _was_ the team Hinata and the others were facing after all. I discovered this when I made it up to the stands and looked down on the court. Kitagawa Daiichi were currently warming up and practicing their spikes, while Yukigaoka's team watched them in silent awe and perhaps terror off to the sides.

For some reason, Hinata was missing from the Yukigaoka group, and I was concerned. I was about to head out to look for him, but something stopped me.

Rather, someone walking into the gym stopped me.

He had short, straight black hair and an uneven fringe, hanging over his sharp, harsh looking blue eyes, and his face was set to a firm, serious scowl. He walked into the gym with a look of pure confidence - almost arrogant confidence. It showed in the way he carried himself.

I knew who this guy was for sure. He was Kitagawa's Genius Setter, The King of the Court, Kageyama Tobio.

I'd heard all kinds of rumours about his play style, and not all of them were good. He was definitely and undeniable genius, with quick reflexes, sharp observation skills and pin-point accuracy. Most people are no match for this guy.

But he's also extremely critical, bossy, and tends to shout out impossible commands and expect his teammates to just _keep up_. Like a dictator.

As I watched him set the ball to some of his teammates for practice and warm up, I saw him go off on the one I'd seen earlier with the spiky hair for not getting the ball just right, and the manager approach them to try and soothe the picky setter.

Looks like the rumours may not be unfounded…

I glanced back to Yukigaoka's team in time to see that Hinata had returned with Yukitaka-kun and he was watching Kageyama-san too.

I frowned, then bit my lip. Of all the teams for Hinata to go against first, this had to seriously be the worst kind of match up possible.

I couldn't really see this going well, but I'd made a commitment to cheer for Hinata no matter who he faced, and I'm going to stand by it. No matter what.

I gripped the poles barricading the stalls from the court below, waiting for the match to begin.

Yukigaoka and Kitagawa lined up on opposite sides of the court, and the whistle was blown, signaling that the match was about to be underway. Right away, anyone could see the difference in skill and how, I hate to admit, outclassed Yukigaoka were against the taller, more skilled, elite team.

But despite all this, I noticed, Hinata was smiling, and he was visibly excited to start playing. I grinned at this. The difference in size at least, never mattered to him. And I knew he had a skill that was sure to surprise Kitagawa.

I couldn't wait to see how they reacted to his jump.

The whistle rang again, and both teams shouted out their 'onegaishimasu', bowing and heading into their positions on court. This was it…

Kitagawa served first, and the ball went to Sekimukai-kun and I held my breath in anticipation. However, it looked like the ball was going to fall a little too short for him to receive and it looked like Sekimukai-kun didn't realise it. When he tried to receive it, he missed the ball entirely, and Kitagawa scored their first point.

I visibly winced, and sucked in a breath. Hinata simply responded to that with a 'Don't mind!' and Kitagawa served again.

This time it went to the first years and Mori and he managed to touch it, but it bounced off his arm unsteadily instead of going up and knocked Sekimukai-kun in the shoulder as he'd also tried to get it. I gripped the bar a bit tighter, as I heard Kitagawa's cheering squad in the background.

I frowned angrily, and sucked in a breath. Two can play at that game.

Ignoring the looks I got, and my rosy cheeks, I cheered too, 'Go, go, Yukigaoka! Fight, fight, Yukigaoka!' – It came out louder than I intended, and it was more than a little embarrassing, but it definitely caught people's attention. Including Yukigaoka; they looked up at me a little stunned.

I pulled in another breath, and this time, called down to them, 'Don't be so tense! Just do what you guys practiced and keep an eye out on your surroundings – you'll be fine!' I shouted to them, and I'm pretty sure my entire face was red, from embarrassment and exertion.

But it was worth it, for the smiles on their faces. Hinata nodded, a big grin on his face, and waved back, before turning to his team and patting their backs saying encouraging words to the nervous boys.

I let out a sigh, patting my chest, and glanced around me to see the people in the stalls still staring at me. Some were laughing at me.

L-Like I cared…! All that matters is that the boys aren't discouraged, right?

I sighed out again, trying to exhale my anxieties, and turned to watch the game again. They'd already started playing again. And it looked like Kitagawa had already scored their third and fourth point too…

Another ball came one of the first-year's ways, and this time, they received it well and it went up to the Setter properly. I held back a muffled squeal, clenching my firsts excitedly with a smile as it went to Yukitaka-kun.

Come on, Yukitaka-kun… you can do it…!

As Yukitaka-kun hit the net with his back, I resisted the urge to groan. That made five points for the opposition and none for our team. They had to cut off Kitagawa's scoring streak or the first set would be lost…!

I watched them continue to play, and if it wasn't already obvious how outmatched Hinata's team was before, it surely was now…

The first-years had managed to receive spikes here and there, shakily, but they had. Yukitaka-kun looked like he was itching to do something to turn it around for them and get the ball to Hinata, but the chance never came along. It was almost too painful to watch, but I couldn't tear my eyes way after I'd promised Hinata I would watch him.

And throughout this match so far, his mood hadn't slipped in the least, even though it was so one-sided. He was smiling… he was enjoying himself… he wasn't giving up… Hinata really loved volleyball…!

If Hinata wasn't letting the odds get him down, then how could I?! As the ball finally went to Yukitaka-kun and he got ready to set, I started smiling again. Hinata looked like he also knew. This was his chance to really wow the other team…!

Hinata did his run up, and leapt high into the air in front of the net, and the ball made it to his palm. He through his palm forward to spike with all his might…!

…and it slammed back down on his own side after ricocheting off the arms of Kitagawa's blockers, losing another point for Yukigaoka.

I almost wanted to cry… 'Goddamn those stupid giants…!' I hissed under my breath, and continued watching them play.

Even after a while, it wasn't looking good. The first set had already come to a close, with a win for Kitagawa Daiichi, and the 2nd set was already looking bad for Yukigaoka with the score at 7 - 21 for the opposing team. Nobody seemed to expect any comebacks from Yukigaoka, a fact that annoyed me because I couldn't exactly blame them.

Why did it have to be Kitagawa that Hinata and the boys' were facing…? This was too cruel a pair-up…!

After yet another one of Hinata's spikes was blocked, I noticed something happening with Kitagawa's side. The spiky-haired boy just barely managed to catch a toss from Kageyama-san and got it over, and then went over to whisper to a tired-looking boy with straight black hair about something. And then Kageyama started yelling at him again about… when they were going to start taking it seriously…?

Could it be that the prodigy setter from an elite team was taking us seriously, despite the difference in skill level…? That was a surprise, but a welcomed one. I bet Hinata would be glad that someone wasn't going easy on him too, even in this situation.

But still, it really looked like there was some discord between Kitagawa's regulars… That could be a problem if left unchecked for them.

Kitagawa's sleepy-looking boy served again and it went flying off Kawashima's arms backwards. It looked like this was going to be another point for Kitagawa, and they thought so too.

But Hinata had other plans. With a speed I'd come to associate with my quick-footed friend, he threw himself into a flying-fall receive to try to catch it, even though it was coming close to hitting the wall at the back of the court, seeming determined to save it.

He missed it by a hair, and went tumbling painfully. I winced at every turn his body made before stopping, cringing. I hoped he hadn't broken anything…! Yukitaka-kun nearly shrieked, and ran over to check up on him, as did a few others.

It was set point for Kitagawa now and Yukigaoka still only had 7 points to their name this set. I watched as Kawashima-kun talked to Hinata as the red-head stood up, rubbing his head. I couldn't see exactly what happened between them, but something Hinata said seemed to have caused not only Kawashima-kun, but also Kageyama-san to seize up and flinch. What did he say…?

The serve came for the final play of the first set, and everyone jumped into action. Yukigaoka managed to receive it again and send it to Yukitaka-kun for the toss, and Hinata leapt to the air to strike again. Even if Hinata got this through there was very little chance this set could be saved… but I wanted to believe that he could do it.

I screwed my eyes shut, and called out as loud as I could, 'Go, Hinata-kuuuun-!'

I didn't dare open my eyes after that, but after I didn't hear an immediate thump of the ball being blocked, I opened my eyes and searched for the ball. My eyes widened when I realised what had happened.

Hinata got a one-touch off the blockers' fingers and the ball was sailing over the court. Could this be another point for Yukigaoka…?

The sleepy-looking boy was barely even trying to chase after it, and he finally gave up on it, letting it drop. I squealed in excitement! Yes!

'Hinata-kun did it…!' I whispered excitedly to myself, covering up my big grin as Hinata turned to where I was watching and punched the air in my direction, a big grin on his face as he shouted out ' _Awwwright!_ '

I was unable to resist, and sent two thumbs up towards them, laughing out happily as Hinata's team gathered around him.

Then, Kageyama-san started shouting at his teammates, breaking me out of my blissful state. We all turned to watch him yell at the sleepy-looking boy.

'Chase it 'till it's over!' Kageyama-san shouted, and the guy looked taken aback, looking away and apologizing hesitantly, 'Don't let your guard down until the game is over!' he added, and hung his head angrily as the boy replied.

Kageyama continued and I made out the phrases 'no miracle' and 'stolen' from his quieter tone, before he pointed right at Hinata and started shouting again; 'Our point was stolen by him!' he added, and I grinned.

That's right…! Hinata stole a point from an elite team with the prodigy setter…! Maybe the team had finally found their footing? Maybe a miraculous turnaround was about to occur?

Was I just overreacting…? Maybe I was, but I couldn't help it. I was excited…!

It was Yukitaka-kun's turn to serve where his serve hit the net and tumbled over to Kitagawa's side of the court, scoring us another point. Things were looking like they might turn around, until it came time for Yukitaka-kun to send a toss again. He tried to set it properly, but I could see it in the way he had his hands positioned. The toss was destined to fall flat...!

Like I thought, instead of going forward like he intended, to where Hinata was getting ready to jump, it went backwards, and Yukitaka-kun visibly paled.

But Hinata was already on his way to the other side of the court at breakneck speed…! Would he even make it to the ball in time…?

* * *

 **onigiriri: Had to cut it off here with another cliff-hanger, because it was getting a bit long. Sorry! I hope you guys are still enjoying this cause we're starting to get into canon territory with the appearance of Kageyama now! Just a few more chapters until Hinata and Moeka are at Karasuno! I can't wait to write Tanaka and Nishinoya! :D**

 **By the way, the next chapter should come within the next few days as I'm already writing out the rest of this match right now. Please, any feedback on how I write volley matches? Should I work on it or is it all good? This'll be important cause there'll be lots of matches to write about in the future!**

 **[EDIT: I edited a very small bit of this chapter because I messed up on the continuity of the match.]**


	7. 7 Only The Strong

Disclaimer - _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – Only The Strong.**

Hinata sped over towards Yukitaka-kun's missed toss with a speed that shocked some of the people in the audience around me into momentary silence. I watched with eager anticipation as he leapt into the air as if defying gravity, arm poised to spike.

I noticed that Kageyama-san had realised what he was doing and was quickly running after him on his side of the court to try and jump into a blocking position but it was clear that he wasn't going to make it in time.

Come on….!

 _Wham!_ Hinata hit the ball with all his strength, sending the ball hurtling to the ground along the outside line, as the sleepy-looking boy dived for it.

After the ball hit the ground and bounced off, we all held our breath to hear the referee's verdict. After thinking, the man raised both his arms to the position for 'out' and blew his whistle.

…Out…

As the scorekeepers moved Kitagawa's point count to 25, I leaned back from the railing letting out a breath I hadn't entirely realised I'd been holding, looking down.

Two sets to Kitagawa Daiichi… And Zero sets to Yukigaoka. We lost…

'What have you been doing for the last three years?!" Kageyama-san's voice caused me to look up in surprise. He was grasping at the net, looking at Hinata with a frustrated expression. I leaned forward again to watch.

Sekimukai-kun became furious, and moved forward aggressively, and as he was held back by Yukitaka-kun, he yelled angrily at Kageyama-san. 'You don't know anything about what he's done for these last few years! How hard he's worked, and what his friends have done to help him get this far…!'

I covered my mouth to hold back an emotional gasp, my eyes watering. I shook my head, and hung it, holding in my tears.

'H-Hey… are you okay?' a voice to my left barely registered with me. After a moment, I glanced to the side the voice came from through my bangs.

Looking to me with concern, there was an older boy with brown eyes, and light coloured hair. He had a beauty mark under one of his eyes. With him were two others, and they were all wearing plain black jerseys.

One of the other two boys had brown hair and eyes, and broad shoulders. The other had sharp eyes and a shaved head – I remembered he was one of the ones who'd laughed at my out-of-nowhere solo cheer from earlier, to which I pouted.

The silver-haired boy gave a smile, 'You were really cheering for the other team, huh? Are you from their school?' he asked me.

Hesitantly, I nodded, glancing to them then away from them awkwardly. 'Y-Yeah…we're all from Yukigaoka. I came to cheer for a good friend of mine, Hinata-kun. It was their first match.' I replied. _And last,_ I thought with a knot forming in my throat.

'Ooh, you mean the _chibi_ with the number 1 jersey? Man, he was short but he could really jump!' said the shaved-head high-schooler.

The brown-haired high-schooler nodded, 'It's a shame they had to lose here, but it really was bad luck to be matched up against a team like Kitagawa Daiichi.' He said, glancing down on the court to see the team clearing up. I nodded and looked down there too, to see Yukigaoka huddling – they all looked so downtrodden. I couldn't see what kind of face Hinata was making.

'You should go check up on them when they leave.' The silver-haired high-schooler's voice came again and I looked back at them. 'I think some words of encouragement are what they really need right now, right?' he asked me, and gave me a toothy grin.

I gave him a small smile in return, 'I will! Th-Thank you for coming to see if I was alright. I'll be okay. I've got to go make sure Hinata-kun and the others will be too…!' I replied, and gave a bow, excusing myself.

As I left, I glanced back at the shaved-hair high-schooler one more time, before leaving. As I did, I heard him speak.

'W-What was that look she gave me…?' he stuttered, taken aback.

'Well you did laugh at her before, Tanaka.' The brown-haired high-schooler replied with a chuckle. That was all I caught before I was too far away to hear them anymore.

I wiped my eyes dry as I descended the stairs, keeping an eye out for Yukigaoka's green jerseys… That encounter with the high-schoolers aside, I had to find Hinata-kun and the others…!

* * *

With little trouble, I'd managed to find the first-years Kawashima, Mori and Suzuki, and after checking up on them to see how they were doing, and giving them a little pep-talk, I asked them where Hinata, Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun had gone. Mori-kun told me that Hinata had stepped out for some fresh air and Yukitaka-kun and Sekimukai-kun were worried and had followed after him.

I thanked them, and headed out to look for them outside.

It took me a while to find any sign of them, as the late afternoon sun and light breeze washed over me. Eventually, I got my first hint of where Hinata was when I heard his voice.

'You! …If you're supposed to be the King who rules the court…' As I ran to turn the corner, I heard Hinata's voice choke with emotion, and pursing my lips together, I picked up my pace. I came to a stop by Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun who jumped at my sudden presence, gasping out my name.

I didn't reply, I just looked down the flight of stairs in front of us, where Hinata stood on the steps with his back facing us. At the bottom of the stairs was Kageyama-san, his team-mates walking away ahead of where he'd stopped to face Hinata.

Hinata continued, sounding as if he were biting back tears, but was full of determination and frustration all at the same time.

'…I'm going to defeat you… gh… and stay on the court the longest…!' he finished, and went to rub his eyes. Don't tell me… Hinata was crying…

As Hinata hiccupped and tried to hold back the emotions bubbling up from inside him, I grabbed at my chest as my heart twisted painfully inside. I didn't…. like to hear Hinata like this…

Kageyama-san looked up at him with a serious frown, before replying to Hinata's declaration of rivalry; 'Only the winner gets to stay on the court. Only the strong. If you want to stay on the court, then just get stronger.' He told Hinata, turning to face him. After saying that, they looked to each other as if in a silent agreement, before Kageyama-san turned away and left with the rest of his team.

Not sparing a moment, I quickly descended the flight of stairs, heading towards Hinata who still had his back turned to us. Yukitaka-kun and Sekimukai-kun quickly followed after me.

'… Hinata-kun…!' I called out to him, stopping a few steps behind him, and after a moment, he turned to me.

The corners of his eyes were still red from crying, but he had a peaceful, but determined look in his eyes.

'Mogami-san…' he finally replied, and then noticed Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun, 'Mogami-san! Izumin! Koji! Thank you for today!' he suddenly said loudly, bowing low to us and we all jumped.

I had to fight back another wave of tears that were threatening to spill, as Sekimukai-kun cried out 'Y-You idiot! You don't have to thank us!' while turning away to hide his own dewy eyes.

'Eh? Why're you crying, Koji?' Hinata asked, blinking at his friend.

'I'm not crying!' Sekimukai-kun vehemently denied it, barely choking back sobs. A small smile threatened to show on my lips, and I glanced to Yukitaka-kun who was also exasperatedly smiling.

I turned to Hinata, 'Hinata-kun,' I began and he looked to me.

He grinned abashedly, looking embarrassed, 'I'm sorry, Mogami-san… You cheered so hard for us, and we ended up losing…' he said, kicking at the floor.

'You don't have to apologise,' I said, shaking my head, 'In fact… Hinata-kun… and Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun… and the first years too… You all did great out there today. I'm really proud of you guys no matter the outcome!' I told the three boys, and they all smiled back at me.

'Speaking of which, Mogami-san's cheering was a bit…' Sekimukai-kun trailed off jokingly. I pouted at him.

'W-What was wrong with my cheering…!?' I cried at them, folding my arms. The boys just laughed at me.

'W-We just never expected you to get that loud. It was surprising!' Yukitaka-kun explained, still chuckling.

Hinata titled his head to me, grinning, 'It really pumped us up! Thanks for believing in us.' He said, and I sighed and nodded. Hinata gasped, 'That reminds me, the girls' matches are next week, right?' he asked me and I sighed heavier.

'Don't remind me. I'm still really nervous about that…!' I groaned, hugging my stomach.

'It just means you want to do well, right? It's only natural to be nervous.' Yukitaka-kun noted, recalling what I'd said to them before the match. I smiled a little and nodded.

'We'll come to watch you guys play!' Hinata cut in to say loudly.

'' _We'll'_ come?' Sekimukai-kun repeated, 'I dunno if Izumi and I can though – we already skipped enough practice.' He added.

'Well _I'll_ go.' Hinata corrected, frowning. I giggled,

'You don't have to, Hinata-kun,' I said to him with a shake of my head.

'You didn't have to come with us, but you still did, and you cheered us on too.' Hinata countered, and I couldn't say anything to that; he grinned, showing his teeth and said 'I'll watch you, too.'

I smiled happily, 'Th-Thank you… I'll do my best.' I said, and he nodded once resolutely. Sekimukai-kun looked around, and pointed back over his shoulder with his thumb;

'We should find Mori, Kawashima and Suzuki. The bus'll be here soon to pick us up.' He said and we all nodded in agreement.

And so came the bittersweet end of Hinata's middle-school volleyball tournament career, and the impending beginning of my own. I wondered how it would all turn out…

* * *

Four days later, matches were already on their way. We'd already had our first match, and though it was challenging, Michiko really stole the show for us and overwhelmed the opposing team with her service aces. Excited, and nervous for our next match, we were replenishing our energy with light snacks I'd prepared, and water.

We were still buzzing from the adrenaline from winning our last match, and were sitting in a corner of the hallways out of other people's way, as we waited for our next match.

I glanced at the clock hung on the wall in the distance and calculated the time remaining until then, and saw that we had about 25 minutes. Hinata had said he'd come today, but he still hadn't been able to make it.

I hoped he'd be able to make it in time…

'Hey, Moeka-chan,' a team-mate of mine, Saori called out and I turned to look at her. She was fiddling with the stopper on her water-bottle and frowning a little.

'What is it, Saori-chan…?' I asked, furrowing my brows in concern.

'Well, for the next match, could you maybe try tossing to me and Rei-chan as well?' she said, and I blinked in surprise at her.

'Um… s-sure, but what brought this on?' I asked her.

'Have you not noticed?' Saori raised her brow at me, 'You seem to send like 90% of your tosses to Michiko-chan… I mean I know she's our captain and ace and all, but… Rei-chan and I practiced hard for this too…!' she said, and next to her Rei-chan nodded in agreement.

'It's like your favouring her, and tossing to her even if someone else could've done it too. You know, we got lucky for the first team, but smarter teams will catch on if you keep doing that and they'll send all their blockers to stop Michiko. We could lose points because of your favouritism…' she told me and I took it all in.

My eyes widened in horror once it dawned on me. They were right. I'd been relying heavily on Michiko because she's just so good…and I trust her… maybe more than the other girls…?

I bit my lip, realizing how awful that sounded.

Saori smiled wryly, 'Well it looks like you understand at least. So let's try changing things up with the next match, ok? I don't know about Rei-chan, but I'm looking to score lots of points!' she said.

'Me too! They won't know what hit 'em.' Rei agreed, and giggled.

I bowed my head in apology to them, 'I'm sorry! I'm supposed to be the one keeping an eye on all of my team-mates and the court, but I failed at that so far…' I said, mortified.

'Well, I wouldn't say you totally failed… You _are_ kinda new to having such a big role~ Some of the other girls who've been regulars will forget that sometimes.' Rei smiled.

'We know you're doing your best to fill the space Hatsumi-senpai left and that's a lot of pressure.' Saori added, and then blinked, 'Anyway, didn't you say that red-head kid was coming today to watch?' she asked.

I laugh nervously, 'You call him a 'kid' but he's the same age as us Saori-chan… And yeah, Hinata-kun was supposed to be here, but I guess he got held—' I trailed off when my phone began vibrating inside my sports bag. I quickly pulled it out, and read the text that had arrived. It was from Hinata.

I looked back up to the girls after finishing, 'Looks like he just arrived. He's trying to figure out which gym we're playing in.' I said, and proceeded to type directions into my phone to send Hinata.

As I did, Coach Tezuka came up to us and clapped her hands together, 'You ladies are looking far too relaxed right now! Put away your things and go warm up on court 6. It's clear for our next match now, so you ladies can get started. Come on, let's go!' she said sternly.

We all chorused out a 'yes ma'am' and I pressed the send button on my phone before putting it back in my bag and zipping it up. Coach collected up our snack containers into a bag, and we all headed for our next match.

* * *

We quickly got on the court and started warming up. As we did, I kept glancing up at different parts of the audience stands, trying to spot Hinata. He didn't show up for the rest of warm-ups and I wondered if my text had sent properly, or if Hinata had got lost trying to find the right place.

Soon, we were all in our positions in our assigned rotation, waiting for the referee to blow the whistle for the match to start. It was our opponent's first serve.

The seconds felt like minutes, but soon, the match was in session. And as far as I knew, still no Hinata.

A few minutes later we were tied at 2 points each. Rei-chan served the ball, and it soared over the court, before hitting the arms of one of the opposing team's middle-blockers and bouncing back up over to our side of the net while she cried 'My bad…!'

As her team-mates reassured her, I got into position to toss the ball. That's when I heard him.

'Mogami-san! Fight-o!' I knew that voice anywhere by now after hearing it so much these past 5 or 6 months. Hinata Shōyō.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline, I tossed the ball backwards while calling out 'Saori-chan!' quickly.

Behind me, Saori leapt into the air with her arm back ready to spike. With a grunt, she spiked the ball with all her might, it curving slightly into the centre of the court on the other side, and it bounced off the edge of one player's wrist and hit the grount.

Saori jumped happily, pumping her fists happily, then she turned to me with a grin, raising her hands for a high-five. I smiled, and clapped my hands against hers, and then turned to the audience to try to seek out Hinata's location.

As usual, he wasn't hard to spot, with his bright hair. He caught my eye, and began waving down at me energetically and I smiled, and waved slightly back at him.

Michiko clapped her hands together, 'Great job guys! Let's keep scoring points and not let Mikahashi' catch up!' she said and everyone agreed.

We carried on with the match, and though unfortunately, we ended up losing the first set due to some bad luck, we managed to barely pull through a win against Mikahashi Girls' Middle-School team. It was close, but the fact that we won was a fantastic way to end our matches for the day. We only had two more matches, and if we could win them both, we'd even make it to Nationals…! It was exciting and something I never thought would happen, despite my attempts at being optimistic.

After the match, we all gathered in the hall for a brief talk with Coach Tezuka, about how the next matches would be in the morning rather than the afternoon, so we'd have to meet at school a little earlier to take the bus here. Michiko turned to me, and nudged my side. I glanced at her curiously, and noticed that Michiko's smile was not her usual one. I couldn't make it out, but she seemed almost nervous. Maybe it was for the match tomorrow morning…?

'Hey, Moeka-chan, why don't you sleep over my place tomorrow? We won't stay up too late, and we can walk to school together! We haven't done that for a while cause I've been busy after practice, right?' Michiko asked me eagerly.

I tilted my head to the side, still a little confused by her slightly-off personality. Usually, she would have just said 'you _are_ sleeping over my place' instead of asking if I would.

Nevertheless, I nodded, 'Sure thing. You need a player 2 for a level in the videogame you're playing?' I asked her and she laughed.

'You got me…? Yeah I've been stuck on this one puzzle and I can't figure it out! You're better at this stuff than I am. Okay, so come over at 7-ish? I'll let mom know to expect you.' Michiko smiled, looking relieved.

I wonder what's up with her…?

'Mogami-san! Ayasato-san!' Hinata called, joining Michiko and I. He seemed full of energy as usual. 'That match was so cool! Ayasato-san's serves were like ' _ba-bam!'_ and the other team was like ' _whoa_!' and.. and Mogami-san was so cool, too!' he chattered.

I blushed a little, 'I dunno if –cool- is the right word…? But thank you Hinata-kun…' I said, rubbing my cheek with my finger.

Michiko laughed, 'Oh I'd say you're plenty cool, Moeka-chan! You're just too modest!' she said, swinging an arm around my shoulder, and I crumpled slightly under her weight.

I covered my face to hide my blush from the laughing Michiko and Hinata. Well at least Michiko had perked up a bit and seemed more like her natural self. But I think that's just because she distracting herself from whatever's bothering her.

Whatever it is, I hope she opens up to me about it tonight. Maybe inviting me around is her method of telling me. I hope it is.

* * *

 **onigiriri: Sorry for taking so long! I ran into a bit of writers' block and had to brainstorm some ideas, but I finally came up with something and I hope you like it! And also, sorry for another cliff-hanger with Michiko...! xD**


	8. 8 Nobody's Fault

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha_.

 **Chapter 8 – Nobody's Fault.**

I went with Michiko to her house that afternoon after school, making a quick call to my mother to inform her as I did. Michiko's mother welcomed me with open arms, used to seeing me as a friend of her daughters'. She prepared a hearty meal and ate it when her overworked-looking salary man father returned home.

After dinner, we moved to Michiko's bedroom to finish up some homework assignments together quickly, and then Michiko hooked up her gaming system. As she got her character to the area with the puzzle she was stuck on, I kept glancing to her thoughtfully.

So far, she'd seemed normal, talking about the same kind of things she usually did and making the same jokes as she usually did.

She got to the puzzle area and I helped her figure it out, and she cheered when she got through the gate that opened with the puzzle's completion.

'Moeka-chan, you're a lifesaver…!' she cried out dramatically, flopping back on her bed. I giggled and shook my head at her.

I then began wondering if I should just bring what was bothering her up myself. And as I sunk into my thoughts, trying to come up with a good way to word it, Michiko laughed quietly, looking over at me. I raised my eyebrows at her curiously.

'You overthink things too much. I know you want to ask me what's bugging me.' She said and I blushed a little. It was like she read my mind… 'It's okay. I actually invited you over tonight cause I wanted to talk about it. It's something big, but don't freak out…!' she said, and sat up.

I adjusted my sitting position to look at her directly, and waited for her to continue.

Michiko sighed, 'Actually, I've been hiding something from…pretty much everybody at school, except the teachers. I was planning to tell the team after this volleyball season came to an end, since we'll be passing things off to the 1st and 2nd years after that anyway… but I… I'm just sick of keeping it from my best friend so I wanted to tell you first.' She said, looking down at her hands on her lap as she fiddled with her fingers anxiously.

You didn't usually see Michiko looking this withdrawn. It was kind of weird. But I could tell something was definitely up. That much was obvious. And it felt a little ominous.

'M-Micchan… what's going on?' I asked her with an uneven voice, although on the inside I was a little afraid to know the answer.

Michiko bit her lip, and after a moment of silence, she spoke up; 'My family and I are moving to Tokyo. My dad's getting a promotion and is getting relocated in a few weeks, but the rest of the family will be joining him there after I've graduated from Yukigaoka…' she said, and even though the music from the videogame was technically still playing the whole room felt like it fell into complete silence.

I could only stare at Michiko, speechless, as a lump began to form in my throat.

'Wh-what…?' I croaked, surprised at my own voice.

Michiko winced, 'I'm sorry! I don't want it either! I wanted to go to the same high-school as you and Hinata, and keep playing volleyball with you there too, but.. but.. Like I said, dad got this promotion, and he couldn't refuse it and… he and mom had already made their minds up a-about all of this before I even knew about it…! They told me last week, Thursday…' she said.

Thursday… the day Hinata and the boys' team had their match against Kitagawa Daiichi…

'But when I called, and we started talking about Hinata's match… I knew you were already bummed about them losing and worried about our matches… I wanted to wait, but it bugged the hell out of me keeping it from you…!' Michiko continued rambling and I pursed my lips, moving forward.

I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, 'It's okay! It's okay Micchan! Thank you for being considerate of me… like you always are. I had no idea you were going through so much without saying anything – I'm sorry I didn't notice my friend was so troubled sooner!' I said to her, hugging her tight. She wrapped her arms back around me.

'And now I'm kinda worried that maybe I sprung this on you at the wrong time, like, maybe I should have waited…? With the match tomorrow and all…' she muttered softly.

I sat there for a moment with her in my arms, thinking about it. I couldn't pretend this wasn't bothering me, 'I'm sad…that you're gonna move. B-But we've still got the rest of this year, right? And we can chat over the internet, too. And maybe there'll be times I can come visit you in Tokyo and you can show me around the big city…!' I said to her and I felt her relax a little.

I smiled, as a thought came to me. 'Wasn't there this online gaming friend you had…. "applepie"? Maybe you'll meet them when you move there? What if you end up going to the same school…?' I said, pulling back.

Michiko pulled her arm back to wipe at her eyes, a smile threatening to show, 'What're the chances of that? Tokyo's a big place.' She said, and it was clear she'd calmed down a bit.

I smiled back at her.

And it was then that her mother opened the door to peek in, 'Girls, it's pretty late… Michiko, your eyes are red..! Are you alright?' she asked.

Subconsciously, Michiko rubbed her eyes again, 'Yeah, I'm okay! We'll be going to bed now, thank you.' She replied to her mother. Michiko's mother looked at her daughter concernedly, before sighing out and smiling.

'Alright, good night then you two… Your dad and I are turning in too, so no late-night chatting…!' she said, and left the room. With that, we turned off Michiko's game and started getting ready for bed.

Tomorrow… I wonder how our match would turn out…

…

'Mo…chan… Moe…chan….get…p… Moeka-chan! Come on, wake up!' Michiko's voice slowly made its way to my attention as I roused from my sleep slowly. With a wince, I slowly opened my eyes. My body felt like lead. I didn't know if I could even sit up, I felt so heavy.

Contrary to the cheerful front I put up last night after Michiko's confession, which fooled both her and myself both, I was more bothered than I thought. It took me ages to get to sleep initially, and I must've woken up once or twice throughout the night. When I did, I would just look around Michiko's darkened bedroom, musing darkly to myself that in less than a year, it wouldn't even be Michiko's bedroom anymore.

Michiko grabbed my attention by shaking my shoulder again, 'Moeka-chan, hey! Come on, it's already 7:30. We need to leave the house in half an hour if we want to make it to school in time…!' she said and I shot up with an energy I didn't think I had. I quickly lost that energy and swayed slightly, to which Michiko helped me up.

She furrowed her brows at me, 'Hey, are you okay Moeka-chan…?' she asked me, concerned.

I blinked sleepily at her, before putting my best smile forward, 'Yeah, I just sat up too quickly…! I'm fine! Come on, we need to get ready, fast!' I said, pulling myself up and stumbling to my bag to get my toiletries. I couldn't let on to Michiko that I'd had trouble sleeping.

We had more important things to worry about right now… right?

…

The ball was coming to me again before I even realised it and I put my hands up to set it. Furrowing my brow and trying to concentrate, I sent the ball over to Rei, who barely made it in time, but got it over. The other team that we were facing managed to bump it up again though.

I tsked to myself, preparing myself for the team's response. I could feel Michiko's eyes on me, and gulped.

With a grunt, I dove to receive the spike that bounced off our Middle Blocker Naoko's fingers, and caught it with my right arm, only for it to fly out of the court. I bit my lip, getting up.

'S-Sorry, guys,' I said, turning back to them as the other team cheered. That was the set point, for the first set. It'd been pretty one-sided so far, we'd only gotten 13 points this set.

I could tell by the way my teammates were looking at me, that they were worried about me.

'D-Don't mind!' Saori said quickly, waving her hands in dismissal.

'It was kinda my bad as well. I couldn't get my spike through.' Rei added sheepishly. Michiko smacked my back roughly.

'We'll turn the tables with the second set. Right? Let's not let it get to us and push on!' she said, looking at me from my side. I nodded.

I'd been having difficulty focusing so far. My limbs felt heavier than usual and I kept zoning out…

I brought my hands to my cheeks and slapped them roughly a few times. I had to snap out of it! This might end up being my last match with Michiko after all…

My heart twisted painfully and I palmed the fabric over my chest. I turned to the court again, furrowing my brows.

'We're gonna take this next set for sure! Let's redouble our efforts!' I added, and Michiko grinned.

'Glad you're back with us, Moeka-chan.' She said, rubbing my shoulder. I blushed a little and nodded.

The second set started and I was sorely mistaken when I thought that redoubling our efforts and me focusing more would help our chances. As it happens, the other team was thinking the same thing, since winning a second set would win them the game. They started pushing even harder than before against us, and the only reason we were still in the game was because of Michiko's service aces.

The score for the 2nd set was now at 23 – 21, to the other team. Two more points and they could win this set we would lose this game, but I knew that something was a cause for concern. It wasn't me – though I was pretty exhausted due to my lack of sleep – it was Michiko.

She was sweating too much. Apart from her serves, which had gotten us this far in this set, she'd been dashing all over the court, saving balls as if she were the Libero herself. Rei and Saori were pretty tired too, but not as much as Michiko.

It seemed like Coach Tezuka had realised this too, and the referee blew his whistle. We turned to where our Coach was sat, to see Yuna holding up a substitute board with a 1 on it.

They were subbing Michiko out.

I for one was both relieved, and a little scared. It was no exaggeration that the team relied on Michiko a lot for our attacking power, and although Yuna was a good player, our power level would significantly decrease without Michiko in play.

Michiko seemed scandalized that she was being taken out of the game at such a critical moment and she was vocal about it with our Coach.

Coach Tezuka however stood firm, and gave Michiko a hard look, 'I know that this means a lot to you, Ayasato-san. However, everyone can tell that you're pushing yourself too much. You don't want to risk an injury by overdoing it. Have faith in Mogami-san and the rest of your team to pull through and you can rejoin them once you've recovered. Now, sit down and have rehydrate before I make you!' she said sharply and Michiko gulped, nodding.

And so, Yuna joined the court, and with some trepidation, we continued with the set as the referee sounded the continuation of play.

It was the other team's turn to serve the ball, and their server threw the ball to the air, before going into a jump serve. As her hand made contact with the ball, it gave a loud slapping noise before soaring over the court to our side.

'I got it!' Saori called, getting into position, and she bumped the ball up to me. I got into position, and quickly ran my eyes over our girls. Rei looked ready to go, and so did the first-year Yuna, who seemed eager to put Michiko's worries to rest.

Yuna and I locked eyes, and with a silent confirmation, I made my decision. Yuna did her run up, as did Rei, and as the ball met my palms, I sent the ball over. Rei jumped and did the motions to hit it, and the ball passed her, making it to Yuna, who with a mighty swing, hit the ball hard.

A girl on the other team caught it and sent it up again. It was coming back to our side of the net and we readied ourselves to receive it, but the other team's setter caught us off guard.

Before we knew it, the ball smacked down on our side of the court, and though Saori and Rei went to catch it, they couldn't make contact.

A dump shot…!

The other team now had their match point. If we didn't do something, that would be it.

'PUT ME BACK IN!'

A voice caught my attention and my head whipped round to look over my shoulder, to see a few of our girls struggling to hold back the panting Michiko. Coach Tezuka was getting up to face her.

'Ayasato-san, I told you to sit down! You're still not ready to go back in and _you won't until I say so!_ ' she scolded my friend.

Michiko looked beside herself with worry, 'But if I don't do something, we're going to lose…!' she cried and I gulped.

'Ayasato-san…! You-' I unintentionally ended up cutting Coach off.

'Michiko!' I said and she turned to me. I gave her my best smile, 'Have a little faith in is would you? The game isn't over yet, so we haven't lost yet.' I told her firmly.

Michiko softened, and slowly but surely, a small, tired grin appeared, 'Okay, Moeka-chan… I believe in you guys.' She agreed and I smiled at her. The rest of the girls smiled and nodded too, in agreement.

I clapped my hands together, 'Okay, let's do this guys…!' I said, and everyone nodded. We needed to somehow make another 5 points to win this set. Time to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in…!

…

Five minutes… our match only lasted five more minutes. As the ball smacked down on our side of the court from a wall of three people blocked Saori's spike, time seemed to slow down. Yuri crashed to the floor with a grunt as she tried to save the ball, but ball was just out of her reach.

It took a few moments for me to realise what had just happened.

What had just happened… Despite what I had just said to Michiko - to have more faith in us... Had I been too cocky? Was that faith misplaced when it had been had in me?

Only when I heard the jubilant rejoicing of the team across from me, and the quiet sobbing of Yuna, still laid on the ground after her receive attempt, did it finally sink in.

We lost…?

…We _lost_.

I… didn't know what I was supposed to be doing right now, as Saori and Rei hovered over the distraught Yuna beside me. It only barely registered, when something collided with me from the side.

I slowly looked over to the person hugging me and crying, to find that was Michiko, apologizing to me…

'M-Micchan…' I murmured to her.

'It's all my fault… I'm so sorry, Moeka-chan… I shouldn't have pushed myself to get all those balls. I should have let the others get them too, but I was just so scared. This was our last m-match…I wanted to have more matches with you, but because I had to be subbed out…!' she was cut off.

'Don't say that Captain…! It's definitely gotta be my fault. I c-couldn't get the ball in time…!' Yuna said, getting up.

'Hey, we said don't mind about that!' Saori fussed over the crying first-year, 'You're only a first year, and w-we put so much pressure on you,' she added, starting to tear up.

'B-But senpai…!' Yuna blubbered at Saori.

'For goodness sake… it's none of you girls' fault, okay?' Coach Tezuka joined us, her voice uncharacteristically soft. She put her hands on Yuna's and Michiko's shoulders, almost encircling us, and gave us a encouraging smile, 'You girls all gave it your all today, and I'm very proud of how hard you worked. Losing isn't a failure – it's a reason to try even harder so that next time, you can reach even greater heights than before with a proud smile.' She said to us.

With watery eyes, the girls all smiled, and as I nodded with them, tears finally slipped out of mine.

'Now then, let's all line up and bow, alright…?' Coach Tezuka said softly, and we nodded again.

Ah… so it's all over.

…

Back at Yukigaoka, Hinata was with Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun practicing spikes, when we returned. Although I know he noticed us, I consciously pulled up the collar of my volleyball jacket in attempt to hide my red, puffy eyes. The bus-ride back at been a hellish one, filled with our quiet crying and sniffling. But we had cried all of our tears now, leaving us with nothing but sore eyes and stuffy noses.

'Mogami-san…! How did it go-… today…' Hinata's voice trailed off as he came closer and realised our dispositions. After a quiet moment as I paused in my steps and the rest of our girls kept going, Hinata spoke up again, 'M-Mogami-san…?' he asked, caught off guard.

I took one step towards him, then another, and another, until I was right in front of him. And then I gave into my selfishness, and hugged Hinata. The boy stiffened up in shock as tears I thought I'd run out of seeped out from the corners of my eyes anew.

'E-Eh…? Huh?' Hinata gasped, feeling awkward in my arms.

I barely heard Michiko talking to Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun, saying to leave us, and I felt even more selfish, as Hinata awkwardly patted my back.

'I-I'm sorry,' I pulled away from Hinata, my cheeks red. Hinata had turned quite red.

'N-No problem… uh… d-did…?' he trailed off, not wanting to say it in fear of inviting another wave of tears. I smiled bitterly.

'We lost without winning a single set.' I replied, and he muttered a soft 'oh'. We fell into an uncomfortable silence, avoiding each other's gazes.

'You… tried your hardest though, right?' he asked me, and I nodded, 'Then it's okay! There's always next year, right?' he added, and I looked at him. He was grinning at me encouragingly.

'Same for me! Next year, I'll go to Karasuno, and I'll become the Ace, and win lots of matches with a real team! You can do that too!' he said to me, and I shook my head at him, feeling myself smile slightly.

'Already aiming high, huh… that's just like you.' I said softly.

'I'll do it!' he enthused. My smile got a little bigger.

'I know you will,' I agreed and his smile grew too.

'So you're feeling a little better, now, right? Right?' he asked me eagerly, and I nodded. He sighed in relief, 'That's good… I'm glad I could help.' He said, and clenched his fist, 'Let's use this loss to work even harder, okay Mogami-san?' he asked me, and I nodded.

'Lets…' I said, and clenched my fist too, lifting it up in offer. Hinata nodded, and bumped his fist against mine.

 **Onigiriri: Thanks for waiting patiently – here is chapter 8! I don't really think I'm very good at writing original volleyball matches, I hope this is good. I don't think it'll be too long before we get to Karasuno now – sometime in November if things progress well enough!**

 **Feedback makes my day no matter how big or small~ Thank you for enjoying Ball of Sunshine so far!**


	9. 9 The End of an Era

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – The End of an Era.**

Volleyball Season had come and passed for Yukigaoka and things have slowed down to the normal every-day school life. Though there were no more official matches in store for Hinata, due to losing in the first match, the girls team had another shot after Summer since they got to the semi-finals. However, for this match Michiko and I were stepping aside for the Setter that would be taking my place when I graduated, Chiaki, and Yuna, who would be taking a Wing-Spiker position in place of Michiko. It had been decided between Michiko, the other third years and I that Saori would become Captain next year.

It was a really busy time and we spent a lot of time practicing, and we'd even started playing practice matches against the boys to get their match experience up. The girls would give tips for improvement to the wide-eyed first-years and the eager Hinata.

Losing in his first match hadn't dampened Hinata's spirits in the slightest. In fact, it only seemed to fuel his competitive spirit! He told me that he intended to beat Kageyama in high-school, the next time they faced off against each other.

It made me happy to hear that Hinata hadn't let a loss stop him. I didn't want to let my team's loss stop me either!

But… I had been thinking about it a lot lately.

The fact that Michiko was moving to Tokyo after we graduated. That meant that there was no way that we'd ever get to play on the same team again.

The reason I originally got into Volleyball and joined the girls' team was because I wanted to have something in common with Michiko, and to be able to play together. Becoming a Setter had also been due to my wanting to play with Michiko – I wanted to feel more like we were directly working together towards something, rather than just jumping after a ball to block it. Setter seemed like the best position to achieve that to me.

But in high-school, we wouldn't get to play together. I'd be going alone, to a completely new team full of people I didn't know. Hatsumi-senpai and Kaori-senpai were both going to a school different to the one I was aiming for.

Karasuno High-School.

And the reason I wanted to go to Karasuno High-School was…him.

* * *

Stopping at the door to Class 3-1, I leaned in and looked around, holding my bento in my hand. I spotted Hinata, Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun, and after the later gave me a light wave, I waved back and went over to join them.

As I sat down, I looked to Hinata who looked surprisingly…down. His head was lowered, his shoulders were hunched, and he didn't seem to have noticed that I'd arrived.

After a moment of silence as I opened my bento and began eating, I decided Hinata's lack of reaction was unnerving.

'Hinata-kun…?' I asked him, tilting my head to the side in confusion. After a moment of him not responding, I looked to his friends quizzically.

Yukitaka-kun scratched his cheek, looking sheepish, 'Well you know how it is. Testing season is coming up, and Sho-chan didn't do so great on the last pop-quiz.' He said and I ah'd in realization.

'Is Hinata-kun worried about test results? If you study enough, you'll be able to make Karasuno's entrance requirements.' I said.

If possible, Hinata looked even more worried.

'I have to pass… I've got to make it into Karasuno, and play volleyball, and become Ace, a-and…!' he muttered.

I smiled nervously, 'Um, so h-how exactly did you do on the last pop-quiz? I-Is it that bad…?' I asked him, and Hinata lifted his head to look at me. I flinched. Hinata was so pale, and his expression looked almost defeated.

Sekimukai-kun leaned against an open palm and hummed, 'If I remember right, it was in the 30s…' he said thoughtfully.

I gaped, 'Th-thirty percent?!' I almost cried, but managed to keep it to a somewhat hushed volume.

Hinata whined, and grabbed at his orange locks, 'I try to study, I-I do! But it's just so hard, I don't get it at all!' he told us, 'A-And studying is so boring, you know…? I'd rather be playing volleyball…' he muttered, almost ashamedly.

I smiled sympathetically; with all I knew about Hinata and his passion for volleyball, I could see where he was coming from.

'You've gotta think of it like, 'if I study, I can play volleyball' or 'if I pass the high-school entrance exams, I can go to the same school as the Small Giant'!' I tried to encourage Hinata and he looked at me; after pausing to think, I continued a little shyly, 'If there are parts of the syllabus that you don't really get, then I… could help you study…if you want.'

Hinata's eyes widened, 'Y-You'd do that…?' he asked me, looking at me as if in awe. It was a little embarrassing when he stared at me so openly…

I nodded, 'Of course. I want you to be able to go to Karasuno, just as much as you do. Since i-it'll be nice to have a familiar face there… when I go there.' I revealed and as if in reaction to his own surprise, Hinata shot up to his feet.

'Mogami-san, you're gonna go to Karasuno?' he gasped at me.

'So you've already decided on your high-school too, Mogami-san? I still can't make up my mind yet…' Sekimukai-kun hummed.

'I'm thinking of Kohanami…since it's close by and it has a good basketball program.' Yukitaka-kun added his piece in.

With a shy smile and a nod of my head, I replied, 'Yeah, I decided to pick Karasuno. There's actually a bus that goes to Torono town from here, so…' I trailed off, fiddling with my chopsticks.

Hinata grabbed my wrist, and held it there, 'We'll definitely both go to Karasuno, Mogami-san!' he said looking me right in the eye. There was a steely determination in his eye; something you usually saw when he was playing volleyball. And then, it was gone, and he looked a little nervous, letting go of my wrist.

'So… um, if you p-please… would you help me study?' he asked me, and I grinned.

'Of course! Should we study at your house, or mine? Or do you need to ask your mom and dad first? I'll probably need to ask mine too…' I replied.

'I'll ask tonight!' Hinata replied quickly, and nodded, 'Thank you, Mogami-san!' he added, and finally sat down again to eat. I told him not to worry, as I didn't mind helping him out if he promised to work hard. He said that he'd definitely give it everything he had.

Lunch break ended without any events, and practice went over as usual after school. Hinata walked by my side on the way home for part of the way, before he had to make a turn and separate.

* * *

A couple of days later, on a Sunday where we didn't have school, I found myself doing something I'd never imagined myself doing last year. I was on my way to Hinata's house to help him study. That's right…

I had completely overlooked it, but I'd never actually asked Hinata about his family before. I mean, it doesn't really come up in conversation when all I tend to talk to him about is volleyball, most of the time. I didn't know what his parents were like, or if he had any siblings…

As I got closer and closer to the address that Hinata had messily scribbled down on a piece of paper for me, I felt a nervous tingling build up in my gut, as I clutched the fabric of the dress I was wearing underneath a cardigan. With my study materials in a bag over one shoulder, I carried an umbrella in my other, shielding me from the light drizzle that had come about a little while ago.

I arrived at a small two-floor house of a traditional Japanese influenced style, with a medium-size garden, and double–checked the address against the house number posted on the wall surrounding the house.

This was definitely the place…

Before I'd made my way completely to the door, it quickly opened and revealed Hinata, dressed in a top with a volleyball-mascot on it, along with some beige shorts and socks.

'Mogami-san, come in!' he quickly invited me in and with a bow and a polite ' _ojamashimasu_ '. He gestured to the corner of his house's Genkan, 'Thanks for coming! You can put your shoes over there.' He said and I nodded, removing my shoes and putting them where he pointed.

As I put my shoes down, I glanced to something orange that caught my eye in time to see something small duck away from sight. Seeing that my attention was caught by something, Hinata curiously looked over to where I was looking.

After a moment, a little girl slowly poked her head out from a doorway again, looking curiously at me.

'Oh, Natsu. This is Mogami-san, she's come over today to help with school-work.' Hinata said, gesturing to me; 'Mogami-san, that's my little sister, Natsu. She's just curious since I don't really bring girls over and all…' he added, rubbing his head a little bashfully.

'Mo…gami-nee…?' the little girl called Hinata Natsu repeated, and I almost cooed. Hinata's little sister was absolutely adorable…! And she called me 'big sis'? It was almost too much…

With a huff of a laugh, I smiled to the girl and ducked my head in a light bow, 'It's nice to meet you Natsu-chan! My name is Mogami Moeka. I'm here to help your brother out.' I said to her.

She slowly made her way a little closer, and titled her head curiously, 'So… are you Nii-chan's girlfriend?' she asked me and it was like the air was punched out of me by the little girl in front of me. I felt my face getting hot, as Hinata started sputtering behind me.

'S-She's from the g-girls' volleyball team, Natsu! She's my _friend_ , not m-my...m-my…!' Hinata was finding it difficult to get his words out, while I tried to ignore that small tightening in my chest. What he was saying was true after all.

'Th-that's right, Natsu-chan. Hinata-kun and I are friends, so that's why I came by to help him study today…!' I explained to Natsu.

'But Nii-chan's always talking about you! About how amazing and nice and pr—' the little girl was cut off before she could finish by her older brother.

'N-Natsu! Can you tell Mom that Mogami-san's arrived…?' he asked, trying to change the subject. As Natsu whined, and went off to get their mother, I looked at Hinata curiously, my cheeks still flushed. He seemed to be doing all he could to avoid looking at me.

I smiled a little to myself. It felt nice to know…that Hinata spoke kindly of me. And I couldn't say I wasn't curious to hear more from Natsu on that…

In a few short moments, a woman with short, straight, dark hair and a sweet, kind smile emerged from the other room, greeting me.

'So this is the female friend that my son keeps talking about… Moeka-chan was it…?' she asked me and I nodded, 'Well, welcome to our home! Thank you so much for helping Shōyō.' She said with a bow.

'N-No problem. Thank you for having me over.' I said, bowing in return.

Hinata's mother glanced at her son with an almost knowing smile, before gesturing up the stairs, 'The two of you can head up and get started. I'll prepare some snacks and something to drink.' She said, and Hinata quickly went about guiding me upstairs.

So far so good…despite that embarrassing conversation with Hinata's little sister, things seemed to be going well as far as first impressions went. It seemed like Hinata's mother was happy to have me here.

But there was one thing that had me curious. Hinata and his little sister both had red hair, but his mother had black hair. Maybe the two got their hair from their father who I had yet to meet…

…But putting that aside, now was the moment. I was going to enter a boy's room for the first time… Ahh, my heart was racing again.

 _Okay, deep breaths, Moeka, you can do it…_

* * *

It's just some studying after all. I don't know what I was getting so worked up over. Things ended up going over smoothly enough. Hinata wasn't kidding when he said he didn't get it, but after a few hours going over the syllabus, things seemed to start making sense. Hinata's mother prepared some snacks and barley tea for us, which were delicious, and by about 7pm, as I was packing up to leave for the night, I finally met Hinata's dad and confirmed that yes, the red hair was definitely from their father.

He was a lovely man just like the rest of the Hinata family, and was like a slightly-calmer version of his son. He was nice enough to give me a lift home.

It wasn't the last time I would visit Hinata's house before the school year ended. I went two or three more times and eventually, Natsu warmed up to me even more. Hinata came over to my house one or twice as well, when Natsu unfortunately caught a cold.

Testing times came and passed in a flash, and Hinata only barely made it through the exams, taking them while fighting off the last few days of the cold he caught off his little sister.

But things turned out all right, and Hinata managed to squeeze out a passing grade in all his tests; a fact to which he was thrilled because it meant going to Karasuno was not just a fleeting dream after all.

On our graduation day, we all carried our diplomas, rolled into a scroll and wrapped in a black outer-layer. Hinata had already profusely thanked me for all of my help and for not giving up on him as always, and said he'd see me in Karasuno, before heading off with his friends Sekimukai-kun and Yukitaka-kun.

After all, I had my own goodbyes to say as well. After watching Hinata and the others disappear over the horizon, I turned and hurried on my way as well. Michiko had to leave right after graduation ceremony to finish helping her mother with packing their things, and I'd promised to help them out.

I arrived at Michiko's house, after having taken a bus and then sprinted from the bus stop to her house, and bent over to balance on my knees, panting. Collecting my breath, I stood up and rang the doorbell.

After a few moments of muffled shuffling from within, Michiko's mother came to the door, and gave a tired smile when she saw that it was me.

'Ah, Michiko said you were coming to help us out. I can't thank you enough, Moeka-chan, come on in,' she said, inviting me inside.

I gave a smile and a nod to the woman, before taking my shoes off and heading upstairs to Michiko as directed.

Opening the door to Michiko's room I found it practically bare. Most of her things had already been sealed away into cardboard boxes. Even her gaming systems had been put away safely.

Michiko turned from where she was putting away books into a box, and smiled, 'Heya Moeka-chan.' She said warmly. I pursed my lips, furrowing my brows, and quickly moved down to the floor and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. She laughed, a sadness in her voice, and hugged back.

'It's like the end of an era, huh Moeka-chan…?' she asked me.

I pulled away from her and looked her right in the eyes, 'Don't say it like that. Even after you go to Tokyo, there are things that aren't gonna change. We're still gonna be friends, and we're still gonna talk. Every day. Or else.' I told her resolutely.

She looked at me as if a little stunned, then laughed again, this time, properly. She nodded, looking at me determinedly.

'Okay. Friends. Every day. You got it~' she said, agreeing.

I smiled widely at her, 'You better find "apple-pie" and introduce him to me!' I said to her.

She laughed again, 'And you better tell me right away if you and "Hinata-kun" make any progress~!' she said and I gaped at her, turning red.

'MICCHAN!' I cried at her and her small laughs turned into loud, unrestrained ones. After calming down, I sighed and smiled.

I was going to miss being able to joke around with Michiko in person like this, but we weren't going to let something like distance stop our friendship. And like Michiko said, it was the end of an era.

Middle-School was over now. And my last year and a half had been a surprisingly exciting one. I had met Hinata Shōyō and come farther out of my shell than I'd thought I would…

And now, there was a new adventure waiting – one I'd tackle alongside Hinata.

Karasuno High School. I wonder what it would be like there…?

* * *

 **Onigiriri: And here it is, the finale of the Yukigaoka Arc! I got to put Natsu in it, which makes me happy~ Next chapter will be the start of canon events at Karasuno High School – for sure this time! :D**

 **I need you guys' help to make up my mind on something: What school should Michiko go to – Nekoma or Fukurodani? Either way she'll end up meeting 'apple-pie', it just means how long it'll be before she and Moeka are reunited.**

 **So let me know in the comments, please! Also, what you thought of this chapter! :D**


	10. 10 A Flock of Crows

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate_ , _Weekely Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 10 – A Flock of Crows.**

The short break between finishing middle school and beginning high-school was over before I knew it. I'd already received my new school uniform in the mail; a navy blue, almost black blazer and gray, pleated skirt, along with a white dress-shirt, a cream coloured v-neck sweater, and a red-ribbon bow. This was the Karasuno High School girls school uniform.

Today I was wearing it for the first time and I'd be wearing it for the next few years to come.

Karasuno High School's building was right in front of me, and I could already see clubs recruiting the first years as they came in. Just like last year when Michiko and I did it in Yukigaoka.

I gripped my school bag a little tighter, thinking of Michiko. Today, she was also seeing a sight similar to this, but in a high school in Tokyo…

Bringing in a breath to prepare myself, I began walking through the front courtyard of the school, looking around for anything to do with volleyball. I'd done some thinking over the break about what I wanted to do, and I'd finally come to a decision.

Playing on a team without Michiko… it just wouldn't be the same, after all… so I'd made up my mind on that…

Eventually, I found something promising. She was standing on her own which I thought was odd. Usually clubs had a few people out recruiting for each team.

I approached the girl with short, curly brown hair who wore a jersey reading 'Karasuno High School Girls Volleyball Club', and lightly tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

She jumped and turned to me, startled, 'Oh, sorry, I didn't see you coming! You're a first year, right? Can I help you?' she asked, and lifted up some of her club application forms, 'I'm captain of the girls volley ball club, Michimiya Yui. Are you interested in Volleyball…?' she asked with a bright and eager smile.

I smiled back to her a little awkwardly, 'Um, yes, I played volleyball in middle-school-' I began but she responded before I could.

'Great! You'll want to play in high-school too, then, right? Here's an application form, glad to–' I gasped and cut her off.

'Um, w-wait, wait…! You've got me wrong..! U-Um…actually I was looking to do something differently with volleyball this year, you see… but I haven't seen anyone else relating to that yet, which is why I approached you, senpai,' I said, blushing a bit.

She blinked at me, her shoulders slumping a little, 'S-Something different…?' she asked, sounding a little disappointed.

I bowed my head in apology, 'Sorry, I feel like I got your hopes up or something…! Actually, um, do you know where I can find someone from the boys' volleyball team? You see, I've got a friend joining them who got here before me, a-and I.. I wanted to support him this year more than anything.. ehm…' I trailed off, my cheeks getting hotter the more I said to Michimiya-senpai.

'…I see….' Michimiya-senpai said after a long pause, and I looked up. She had a small smile on her face, 'It sounds like you've thought hard about it so I can't force you to change your mind… Okay. I don't know where the boys' club is right now but I can point you in the right direction. You should look for a girl with black, straight hair that goes just past her shoulders. She's wearing glasses, and has a beauty mark next to her mouth. Her name's Shimizu Kiyoko, she's the current manager of the boys' team. I saw her earlier so she should be nearby…' she said to me, and give a quick smile.

'Good luck.' She said, and turned away to approach some other first year girls.

I watched her go, feeling a little…uneasy? I guess I felt bad because senpai seemed like a nice person. But I'd already made my decision before coming here, so I had to quickly push that aside, and find the one called Shimizu Kiyoko.

* * *

Time had passed, and it had proved harder than I thought to find the boys' volleyball team's manager. Feeling a little defeated, I was on my way to my last idea for finding a way to apply – the teacher faculty office.

The corridors were filled with people chatting about club activities and their new school year. It seemed like today's first day was the orientation day for getting used to the new school and meeting your clubs, so there were barely any classes today besides the introduction assembly.

I was looking around for the sign that pointed to the teacher faculty office when a few taller guys passed by me out of the corner of my eye. It was then that one of them turned around behind me, and spoke loudly.

'AH! It's the shorty number 1 jersey's cheer girl!' his loud voice was familiar, and what he said sounded like it was pretty much directed at me. Could it be that the 'shorty number one jersey' he was talking about was…Hinata?

Curious, I turned to see a familiar shaved-head boy being scolded by another familiar guy, with the same short brown hair I'd seen several months ago. Along with those two was the third familiar face, the older boy with silver hair that had checked on me after Hinata's match against Kitagawa Daiichi.

I widened my eyes in realization. I hadn't noticed back then because I'd never gotten a look at what was on the back of their sports' jerseys, but I didn't think I'd run into them here at Karasuno…!

Wait, could that mean that they're members of the boys' Volleyball team? ...No, I shouldn't assume...

While I was frozen in my realization, the silver haired boy turned to look at the girl his friend had shouted at without thinking. In realizing that he too recognized me, his face brightened into a cute smile.

'Ohh, you're the girl from the Kitagawa Daiichi match. So you came to this school then?' he asked, and walked a few steps to come closer, 'I hope you'll like it here. I'm Sugawara Kōshi, a third year. These are Sawamura Daichi, also third year, and Tanaka Ryūnosuke, a second year.' He said with a friendly tone, nodding his head to his friends.

I hurriedly bowed my head in greeting, 'It's nice to meet you, Sugawara-senpai, Sawamura-senpai, and Tanaka-senpai! I'm Mogami Moeka, first year.' I said in greeting.

The two third years smiled and nodded to me, greeting me in return. Meanwhile, the second year shaved-head boy, Tanaka-senpai seemed stunned. He was staring at me with wide eyes, making me feel awkward.

I shrunk away, nervous, 'W-What…?' I asked him.

'W…What did you call me…?' he managed to stutter out after a moment, having become awfully quiet from the boisterously loud boy he was just a moment ago.

I blinked at him, confused, 'Um… I called you 'Tanaka-senpai'…?' I repeated, and he moved as if he'd been struck with something, holding himself, causing me to jump in surprise, 'W-was that wrong…?' I asked, worried.

He then began to chuckle a little, and I backed away a little, 'No, no, that's right…heheh. I'm a senpai now.' He said, and then was chopped on the back of the head by the senpai I now knew as Sawamura-senpai.

'Hey stop with that creepy laugh! You're scaring the girl.' He scolded Tanaka-senpai.

Sugawara-senpai rolled his eyes at Tanaka-senpai, before turning to me, 'So have you applied to any clubs yet?' he asked conversationally.

I shrugged, 'I'm still looking for the right people to ask…actually, um, Sugawara-senpai and Sawamura-senpai are third years, right? I've been looking for a third year girl called Shimizu Kiyoko who's the manager of the boys' volleyball team here.' I asked them, tilting my head curiously.

They blinked at me in surprise, before looking at each other and smiling weirdly. I furrowed my brows in curiosity. What were they grinning about.

Tanaka-senpai looked a little star-struck at the mention of Shimizu-senpai's name, and folded his arms.

'Ahh, Kiyoko-san… this year will be another good one,' he said to himself.

Sugawara-senpai smiled, 'Looks like you found the right people to bump into, huh? Actually, we're all from the boys' volleyball club. I'm vice-captain and Daichi here is our captain. As for Shimizu-san, she's been around…' he trailed off while I just stared at them. I guess I should have assumed after all...

I guess they were at the match last year after all. It made sense; they must've been scouting potential new talents like Kageyama-san.

'Was someone looking for me?' a new voice joined us and the boys turned around and parted a little to let a new girl into the group. There stood a beautiful, and mysterious looking girl a little taller than me with medium length, straight black hair, wearing glasses. Her skin was pale, and like Michimiya-senpai described, there was a beauty mark just by her mouth. She was carrying with her some club application forms.

She gave me a small smile and a nod, before turning to Sawamura-senpai and handing him the application forms she had been carrying.

'These are our current applicants.' She told them.

'Thanks. We didn't get that many. I know we used to get more.' Sawamura-senpai said, taking the papers and looking through them.

'We'll get some more soon, Daichi.' Sugawara-senpai said encouragingly to his friend. He looked over to me, 'Like Mogami-san, here. Am I right? If you were looking for Shimizu, it's the only thing I can think of.' He added.

I blinked at him, surprised that I had been figured out. Shimizu-senpai turned to me too,

'Oh, were you looking to join as a manager? I'm already the manager of the boys' team, but we're looking for an assistant manager this year.' She said to me with another small smile.

I nodded, blushing a little under her attention, 'Th-that's right. I'm Mogami Moeka, a first year. Um, because a friend of mine is joining the boys' team here, I wanted to support him and the rest of the team the best that I can. I have experience in volleyball - I played it for three years in middle-school. I hope that you'll have me!' I said, and gave her a deep bow.

Shimizu-senpai seemed surprised to see me bowing, and looked like she didn't know what the say.

Finally she managed to say; 'You don't need to bow… Of course we'd be happy to have you, right guys?' she said, looking to Sawamura-senpai and Sugawara-senpai.

'Right! We'll be happy to have you on board.' Sugawara-senpai said with a nod and a smile, 'We were going to head over to the gym now. Do you want to join us?' he asked me, and I nodded.

'A friend of yours is joining, huh? Could you mean that the red-head with that incredible jump is one of these…?' Sawamura-senpai asked, looking through the applications.

'Yes, he's Hinata Shōyō, sir!' I said keenly.

Sawamura-senpai seemed uncomfortable, 'S-Sir…? Daichi is fine.' He said, scratching his head and looking awkward while his silver-haired friend chuckled.

'And you can call me, Suga, okay?' Suga-senpai added.

'Please continue calling me Tanaka-senpai…!' Tanaka added in, pointing his thumb towards his chest. I blinked, and nodded, smiling a little.

'Ah, I actually have a couple more things to do before I head over. Mogami-san, here, you should fill this form out and give it to Sawamura-san.' Shimizu-senpai said, handing me a blank club application form, which I took with a grateful nod.

Shimizu-senpai then excused herself from the four of us, and we began on our way to the gym, while making small talk about this and that. As we approached the gym, we heard two voices up ahead. I couldn't really make out who it was yet, but one of them was likely Hinata.

He'd been so excited over the phone last night, I just knew he'd try to start playing volleyball as soon as possible so of course he'd already be at the gym.

The other voice, I wasn't sure about. But it seemed sort of familiar…

As we got closer, I tuned back into the conversation my senpai were having about the applications.

'Who knew that the setter from Kitagawa Daiichi would chose us, though,' Daichi hummed, and I blinked at him in surprise. Was that possibly the other voice I heard…?

Kageyama Tobio? Here…? If that's so, Hinata's probably upset. He wanted to beat that guy so badly this year, as a revenge for last year…

Tanaka chimed in, 'But the guy is cocky. I just know it.'

Suga laughed a little, 'Not again. Would you stop intimidating everyone you see?'

'I-I would never do such a thing…!' Tanaka said awkwardly as we climbed the steps to enter the gym. And there they were indeed. Hinata of course was there, and so was Kageyama Tobio himself.

He'd gotten even taller since the last time I saw him… Neither he nor Hinata seemed to have noticed me just yet, as they were looking at Daichi-senpai, Suga-senpai and Tanaka-senpai. The latter seemed to be pulling some sort of face…

He took a few steps forward, trying to speak in a threatening way, 'Hey, hey, hey! What do you guys think you're doing-?' he was cut off when Daichi-senpai grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back without batting an eyelid.

I… guess that Tanaka-senpai is always like this then…?

'So you're Kageyama?' Daichi-senpai addressed Kageyama-san, who nodded, and bowed his head respectively. He seemed slightly less intense somehow, compared to back then. Maybe he'd lightened up a little? He still seemed like the serious sort though.

As our senpai went over to greet Kageyama, I went to grab Hinata's attention; 'Hinata-kun!' I called to him and he looked over me, blinking. At realizing I was there, he smiled.

'Mogami-san!' he called back, as I came over to him. I glanced to Kageyama who was just by us, and Hinata looked over too.

Suga-senpai was also admiring Kageyama-san's height, and Tanaka came in with his own comments, of 'First impressions are key, Suga-san! Blast them with your prestige!' he said, and made another face.

'Tanaka, stop making faces…' Daichi said with a light sigh. I noticed that Hinata was eager to introduce himself to the senpai as well, but for some reason they didn't seem to have noticed him.

I cleared my throat a little to get Daichi-senpai's attention, 'Um, Daichi-senpai,' I began and he glanced to me curiously. I smiled and waved Hinata to come over, to which he eagerly did. I put my hand out to gesture to my friend, 'This is the friend that I was talking about, Hinata Shōyō. He's joining the club too this year!' I introduced Hinata.

Daichi nodded, 'Ah, yeah. Sorry about that, Hinata. It's good to have you on board as well.' He said, turning slightly towards Hinata from Kageyama-san.

Hinata straightened up, rosy cheeks, 'O-Ossu!'

'It's still a little surprising, though, even though Mogami-san was telling us about you on they way over here…' Daichi added, and Hinata looked at me in surprise, his cheeks turning pink, 'So the both of you chose Karasuno…!' he said, and Hinata and Kageyama-san looked a little lost.

Suga smiled and explained, 'We saw you guys play last year against each other. We also met Mogami-san then, although we didn't actually introduce ourselves to her.' He said.

'You're small and you were all over the place, but you had fire! It must've been cause you were so pumped up having a girl cheering so loudly for you. I know I would be.' Tanaka-senpai mused and I blushed a little. I glanced to Kageyama-san's direction and saw he was looking at me for some reason; it looked like he'd just figured something out, whatever that was.

'Uh…t-thanks!' Hinata said happily.

'That was some jumping power though…!' Suga input.

'Ahh, but you really haven't grown much this past year have you…?' Tanaka-senpai said with a grin and Hinata flinched. But even still, he wasn't ruffled by the height jab. He put on a determined expression.

'That…! I may be small, but I can jump! I'll become the ace of Karasuno, you'll see!' he claimed, making big promises.

'Oi, oi.. You only just got here and you're already claiming ace position? You've got some guts!' Tanaka-senpai said, making another face. I wondered what was the point of his faces…but I guess that'd just be his thing…?

I giggled, 'That's Hinata-kun! He dreams big, but he's definitely got the guts to never give up. Even when the odds were against him back at Yukigaoka, he never gave up on Volleyball!' I chimed in, and they glanced at me.

'I think that's great! There's nothing wrong with having tall aspirations, right?' Suga-senpai nodded encouragingly. I smiled at the silver-haired senpai… I think out of the three senpai I'd met so far, he was probably my favourite. He seemed really nice…! Even that time last year; he was looking out for my feelings when I was feeling sad about Hinata's team's loss.

'I-I'll give it my best!' Hinata said, an excited and pleased smile growing on his face, my own soon following. It was great, that the senpai were acknowledging his goals and not shutting them down…!

However, Kageyama-san seemed to have other plans.

'Now that you've announced that you're gonna be the ace, you better have improved. Keep dragging your feet and you'll waste another three years.' He said and the smile quickly slipped from Hinata's face. I frowned disapprovingly at the dark-haired setter.

Hinata turned to Kageyama-san, his face morphed into an angry glare, '…Excuse me…?' he asked, his tone reflecting his anger.

'Why do you have to say things like that, Kageyama…' Daichi-senpai said with a sigh.

'I did try my best… I did. But don't make it sound like everything I've done is for nothing! Don't make it sound like everything Mogami-san did to help me out of her own kindness was for nothing! You've got no right!' he said and I gasped. I took a step towards the two boys.

'Hey, Hinata-kun, please! It's okay—' I tried, but Hinata stopped me.

'It's not okay!' he snapped, looking at me with a serious and slightly angry look, 'I really, truly appreciate all you did for me, and it's not okay that that jerk just shrugs it off as nothing. It wasn't nothing, it was…!' he caught himself, and breathed out angrily, turning to glare at Kageyama-san again.

I didn't really know how to respond to that… and I covered my mouth, feeling a little hot.

I felt a light but firm pat on my back and turned to see Daichi-senpai stepping up beside me with a sigh, 'Look, you guys. You do realise that you're not enemies anymore, right? Volleyball is meant to bring people together.' He said, trying to soothe the two teenage boys.

'I want you to play me!' Hinata said to Kageyama-san, seemingly missing what Daichi-senpai had said.

'Hey, Daichi-san is still talking to you!' Tanaka-senpai snapped, trying to scold them but they ignored him as well.

'Play you at what?' Kageyama-san responded, not intimidated by Hinata's glares.

'At volleyball! Obviously!' Hinata snapped.

'How do you propose we play volleyball one-on-one?' Kageyama countered, as Daichi-senpai seemed to be getting more and more irritated at being ignored.

'Huh? Doing passes and stuff…' Hinata sputtered, caught off guard by the counter.

I decided to try to speak up again, 'H-Hey, Hinata-kun, Kageyama-san… Senpai is—' I began, but it was no use.

'How can you win or lose at passing?' Kageyama-san grumbled, pointedly ignoring my interjection with a frown.

'Hey, listen up you bratty first years!' Tanaka-senpai tried again, and was ignored again. It was then that another voice entered the conversation, likely after having heard the heated, loud arguments.

'You're getting noisy, Volleyball club.' An older man's voice said, and we all turned to see an older, slightly chubby man in a suit. I didn't know who he was.

'Ugh! It's the VP!' Tanaka-senpai cried, and Suga-senpai hissed a whisper to him, correcting him that the proper term was 'vice-principal' to which Tanaka-senpai swiftly corrected himself.

I suddenly became a little nervous. I didn't want Hinata to get in trouble in his first day – who knew what would happen if he did…!

I went to grab at the fabric of his sweater's sleeve and tugged on it, 'Hey, Hinata-kun, maybe you should cool down a little, o-okay…?' I whispered to him urgently.

As the vice-principal walked over towards us, he spoke, 'There isn't an argument going on in here, is there?' he asked.

'Not at all! This is what they call a friendly rivalry. Right, guys?' Daichi-senpai claimed, looking from Suga-senpai and Tanaka-senpai to Hinata and Kageyama-san.

'We gotta behave ourselves, 'cause the Vice wants us to misbehave.' Tanaka-senpai said quietly to Hinata and Kageyama-san.

Pulling his sleeve from my grasp, Hinata faced Kageyama with an aggressive stance, 'Serve me the ball! I'll catch whatever you throw!' he said and I looked at him, alarmed.

What does he think he's doing!? I nearly gaped.

'I only caught one serve from you last year… Since then, I've been practicing with all kinds of people. With my middle school's girls' team… the community team… with anyone who would play with me! I'm not the same guy that you faced back then. I've gotten better, and I'll show you!' Hinata said, and he was right.

He'd been going non-stop between studying and sleeping – nothing but volleyball, volleyball, and more volleyball. It was all I could do to get him to take a break once in a while but you had to admire his dedication…!

Kageyama-san stared Hinata down, before turning and picking up a stray volleyball from the floor, 'Not the same as last year, huh…' he turned and smirked, holding up the ball and pointing it towards us, 'I'm not the same guy that I was last year either!' he said, full of confidence.

Daichi laughed nervously, noticing that the competitive aura between the two of them seemed to be heating up a little too much; 'Now, now, you guys. Enough of all of that, okay?' he said.

The vice-principal folded his arms and watched as Kageyama went to the edge of the court to serve, and Hinata hastily got into position against their captain's wishes; 'Are those two both first year students?' he asked.

Kageyama prepared to serve, and then with a 'Here it comes,' he went into a serve, throwing the ball up into the air. Hinata braced himself to receive. And… then… he jumped.

A jump serve…!? He couldn't do that last time I saw him! Or was he holding it back all this time? No, he didn't seem the type… Then he really did up his game!

The ball came speeding towards Hinata, hard and fast, and needless to say he wasn't as prepared as he'd thought he was. He caught the ball on his shoulder, and stumbled and fell to the floor, before looking over at Kageyama-san, stunned at what had just happened.

Tanaka-senpai vocalized his surprise while the rest of us couldn't, saying 'I dunno if I could've caught that either…!'

'How is that better than last year?' Kageyama-san asked Hinata, managing to sound a little disappointed. But it only fueled Hinata's competitive spirit.

With a grunt he quickly leapt back up to his feet and got back into receiving position, reenergized; 'One more! I'll get it this time!' he said, focused.

'Hey, knock it off already…!' Daichi-senpai called out again.

'Hmm.. It's a problem if first years won't follow their team captain's orders.' The vice principal commented, giving Daichi-senpai a look. I gulped, and wondered if I should try to stop Hinata again.

But in looking at him, I knew I couldn't. Hinata could be pretty stubborn sometimes…

It was then that Kageyama-san threw up another ball and went into another Jump serve, and once again it came hurtling towards Hinata like a speeding bullet.

Focusing with all his might, Hinata's eyes never left the ball. As if having calculated it in his head, Hinata quickly jumped back a little, before readying himself, all within the short time frame of the ball travelling towards him.

 _Wham!_

It connected with Hinata's forearms cleanly and I gasped out happily. He got it this time…! Looking at Hinata's eyes light up happily at getting the ball, I didn't notice, or rather I didn't pay attention to the direction the ball flew in.

But in hearing a strangled yelp of surprise to my side I realised the ball hadn't gone up like it had meant to…

My head whipped around in time to see the vice-principal stumble back in shock, and a toupee drop on top of Daichi-senpai's head. I felt a chill, suddenly getting a bad feeling as the entire gym went quiet…

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Sorry that it was a little longer than I'd planned. I'd been getting really bad migraines since the middle of last week that was causing flashing lights in my vision that was very distressing and distracting for me. It still hasn't stopped, but it's not as bad now, so I managed to get this finished.**

 **I hope you enjoy it. Canon events are starting now! And thanks to your feedback last time, Michiko's school is now decided as well. You'll have to wait and see for it though.**


	11. 11 Tough Love from Daichi-senpai

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 11 – Tough Love from Daichi-senpai.**

 _Wham!_

The volleyball that Kageyama-san had served connected with Hinata's forearms cleanly and I gasped out happily. He got it this time…! Looking at Hinata's eyes light up happily at getting the ball, I didn't notice, or rather I didn't pay attention to the direction the ball flew in.

But in hearing a strangled yelp of surprise to my side I realised the ball hadn't gone up like it had meant to…

My head whipped around in time to see the vice-principal stumble back in shock, and a toupee drop on top of Daichi-senpai's head. I felt a chill, suddenly getting a bad feeling as the entire gym went quiet…

…Ah… so that hair was fake after all. It'd thought something had seemed off about the vice principal since he came in, but… this might be bad, right?

Kageyama-san walked over, looking surprised, 'So it was a toupee after all…' he murmured.

Hinata shorted, and stage-whispered to him, 'You didn't notice? Everyone had been saying about it.' He said to Kageyama-san, his animosity towards the setter seemingly vanishing.

Tanaka-senpai was trying his best to hide his laughter, telling the two first years to shut up quickly. Suga-senpai scolded him that he wasn't much better as I quietly went over to Hinata's side, looking uncertainly towards our now bare-scalped vice-principal who was turning away from us.

'Sawamura… Can I have a moment?' he asked, surprisingly calm despite this embarrassing situation.

Daichi-senpai flinched noticeably, but agreed and followed the vice-principal out of the gym. After a moment of watching after the two in an awkward silence, we finally sighed out, still feeling uneasy about what had happened.

I turned to Hinata, exasperatedly putting my hands on my hips, 'Hinata-kun, what was all of that about, huh?' I asked him and he jumped, taken aback, 'What if your competitive nature ends up getting you in big trouble? They might stop you from playing volleyball you know!' I scolded him but my insides were churning at the thought of doing it. I didn't like doing this, but I needed to say it.

Hinata lowered his gaze, and hung his head, 'S-Sorry… but he was being a huge jerk…!' he grumbled a little.

'Ahh? What was that?' Kageyama-san glared at him a bit.

Suga-senpai waved his hands soothingly, although his tone was a bit more urgently, 'Settle down already. Don't cause any more trouble, now.' He told the boys.

'Yeah, listen to your senpai already! Jeez…' Tanaka-senpai shook his head at us.

I sighed out, and smiled a little, 'But thank you… in a way, you were sticking up for me a bit weren't you, Hinata-kun?' I asked him and he turned red, looking away.

'Th-that is…' he mumbled and Tanaka-senpai, Suga-senpai and Kageyama-san all looked at the two of us curiously.

'Oi, oi, what is this? Are the two of you dating or something?' Tanaka-senpai asked and I started blushing too.

'N-NO!' we gasped out together, before looking at each other in surprise, our faces pink.

'U-Um, that is, we're just really good friends is all.' I corrected Tanaka-senpai, feeling a little foolish for raising my voice so much. It wasn't like me at all. But senpai was clearly wrong to assume such a thing. We're only 15 after all!

'I-It's just… when I started at Yukigaoka and tried joining the volleyball team there, I learnt I'd be the only member and it was more like a fan-club… I had no choice to practice alone until a bit into our second year Mogami-san offered to help me out. It's thanks to her that I've gotten as far as I have so far!' Hinata explained.

Suga-senpai smiled, 'I see, so you have that kind of bond! Like a mentor and student.' he nodded.

'We're best friends!' Hinata corrected, and Suga-senpai nodded indulgingly.

'But you're no different from when I faced off against you last year. I can't see any improvements.' Kageyama-san frowned. Hinata looked like he wanted to say something to that, but I stepped in between the two, speaking to the black-haired Setter.

'Now that's not true. There's an improvement that you can't see because it wasn't shown during your match! Hinata-kun's receives have become way more consistent than before, you couldn't see that because he was the main attacker during that match and everyone else was focusing on receiving. He may have missed your first serve, but that's because you caught him and all of us by surprise by doing that jump serve. But he caught the second one, didn't he?' I said, and smiled.

'He couldn't control the direction of the ball-' Kageyama-san began.

'Hinata-kun is someone who's got the drive to continuously improve. He'll get even better, now that a team that can support him surrounds him. And that includes you, whether you like it or not, Kageyama-san.' I interrupted him.

'Yeah! Nicely put!' Tanaka-senpai grinned, giving me a thumbs up.

'I agree with Mogami-san,' Suga-senpai nodded to me; 'The two of you will need to put your past rivalry aside and work together.' He said.

Kageyama-san and Hinata glanced at each other for a moment, before tsking and looking aside. Hinata's cheeks were still a little red.

It was then that Daichi-senpai returned from his talk with the vice-principal, stepping back into the gym. We all tensed up, nervously awaiting any news about the situation from the captain.

He let out a light sigh, facing us with folded arms,

'Fortunately, we have the benefit of the doubt. No apologies are needed. As long as we keep to ourselves what we learnt about the vice-principal's… ahem!' Daichi-senpai awkwardly cleared out his throat, and we all understood what he was getting at. He got ready to talk again, 'But the two of you—'

'It's your fault for not receiving it properly you dumbass! Improved on your receiving… I'm not seeing it!' Kageyama-san rudely cut off his senpai, scolding Hinata and my head whipped round to look at them in shock.

No, no, no! That's not what you need to say right now, you're supposed to respectfully listen to your captain till he's finished talking! What is Kageyama-san's problem?!

'You're such a let down, you klutzy dumbass!' Kageyama-san added.

'You always say one word too many!' Hinata complained.

'Hey!' Daichi-senpai called, breaking it up. Everyone looked at him worriedly- he looked pretty annoyed, 'I'd like you to listen to me. I don't know what motivated you to come to Karasuno. But you came here to win, didn't you?' he asked them.

Hinata and Kageyama-san stood to attention, saying 'Yes!' and 'Of course,' respectively.

Daichi-senpai continued,

'Karasuno's team could compete with the best until several years ago. It only happened once, but they went to Nationals. But now, we're 8th in the prefecture. We are neither weak nor strong. Other schools call us the fallen champs. The un-flying crows.

I remember when Karasuno was in the Spring High School National Tournament. I was a student from a nearby school who just happened to be passing by. But to see them fighting the fierce rivals in a gigantic gymnasium in Tokyo… it gave me goosebumps. We're going there again!' Daichi-senpai explained to us.

I could tell what he was saying to us was important to him. Glancing at Suga-senpai and Tanaka-senpai I could see it was important to them as well.

'There are plenty of high schools that treat going to the nationals as a tentative dream.' Kageyama said in response and Tanaka turned to him.

'Wha—you bastard…!' he started.

Daichi-senpai continued, unruffled, 'There's no need to worry.' He said and we looked at him. The expression of stone cold determination on his face made me jump a little. 'I'm serious about going.' He said and Kageyama-san flinched.

'We need a united team to accomplish this. And that's also a reason why we don't want to be in the Vice-Principal's bad books. Look,' Daichi-senpai began walking towards Hinata and Kageyama-san and I started feeling a little anxious.

I didn't like the way this looked like it was going…!

'It isn't as though I'm telling the two of you to become friends. In middle-school you may have been enemies on the court, but I want you to get it in your heads that you'll both be on the same side of the net this time… that's all I'm saying.' He said, and though I couldn't see his face right now, I know it had to be pretty scary because Hinata _and_ Kageyama-san looked afraid right now.

'I don't care how _talented_ you are,' he put a hand on Kageyama-san's shoulder, 'Or how willing you are to _give it your all_.' He added, putting a hand on Hinata's shoulder as well.

He began to lead them towards the gym doors, his hands not leading their shoulders. I gasped, and took a few steps to follow them, but Suga-senpai stopped me by putting his hand on my shoulder, and giving it a light squeeze. I looked at him to see him giving me a reassuring look, but I wasn't reassured at all…

'Anyone who makes trouble for the team with some petty rivalry, or a need to defend someone from mere words…' Daichi-senpai said as he pushed the two out through the gym doors, and took their applications and handed them back to Hinata and Kageyama-san, '…aren't needed!' he finished harshly, 'I will not allow you to participate in club activities until you can demonstrate some team awareness!' he finished, and closed the gym doors with a slam.

It took only a few moments for the two boys' cries of shock, confusion and desperation to begin. They were muffled behind the gym doors but I could tell they were panicking.

I pulled away from Suga-senpai's grip on my shoulder, 'Daichi-senpai, excuse me, but I think that was way too harsh…!' I cried at him.

Daichi-senpai sighed out, and rubbed the back of his head, 'I'm sorry, but I'm not going back on my decision until the two of them work things out. Think of it as a little tough love, Mogami-san.' He said, looking at me apologetically. He wasn't budging from this, I could tell. Daichi-senpai seemed like a really determined person.

I couldn't help the feeling of despair for Hinata building up in me. This was his dream team to join, the same one that the Small Giant had played on. And because Kageyama-san couldn't stop riling him up with his words, he might not even get to play volleyball like he'd always wanted to…!

'Don't worry so much, Mogami-san!' Suga-senpai said with a light laugh, 'All they have to do is show Daichi that they can work together and they'll be able to join practice. Like Daichi said, this is just a way to force them to see that and give them the motivation to try.' He said, and sighed, and turned to Daichi-senpai.

'But are you sure about this, Daichi? We _do_ need new members. And only time can build teamwork.' He said to his friend.

'I know that! However…' he paused when we heard a particularly loud noise outside, and Kageyama-san's voice became clear amongst the shouting.

'Excuse me! I'm sorry for my behavior! I'll play along with him! Please let me be on the team!' Kageyama-san said desperately. Daichi-senpai turned and opened the gym doors slightly to look at him.

'Really…? Be honest.' Daichi-senpai drawled out, disbelieving.

And then Kageyama-san said something unbelievable, after much fidgeting, 'If I'm stuck working with him during a match… I'd much rather do every receive, spike and toss by myself.' He said begrudgingly.

 _Is such a thing even possible..!_ I felt my jaw drop in disbelief.

Daichi-senpai however, started laughing, 'Why are you actually being honest with me? I like that honesty, but still… in volleyball, you can't drop, carry or touch the ball twice in a row. How do you plan to do all of that alone?' Daichi-senpai asked him, and closed the gym doors again.

As he walked away from the doors, I stood in place, struck by the things Kageyama-san had said. He was so confident in his own abilities, but didn't have much faith in other people's abilities…that's some ego. What Daichi-senpai said was totally right though.

Volleyball is a team-sport. Its entire foundation is communicating and working with your teammates to keep the ball in play. Kageyama-san _must_ know this...!

But maybe there was more to Kageyama-san than met the eye, when it came to that. Hopefully, Daichi-senpai's plan could get him started off in the right direction.

I wanted to check up on Hinata, since he's probably really frustrated with this situation right now, but… the entire point of senpai's plan is to get those two to work things out on their own, so I can't really intrude on that. It'd be rude to senpai, and to Hinata and Kageyama-san.

So with a deep sigh, I turned away from the gym doors and looked around curiously. I caught Suga-senpai's attention, and he waved me over.

'You're looking a little lost there, Mogami-san. Worried about Hinata?' he asked me.

I nodded, 'Of course I am… But even though I want to help him with this, it's probably better that I let him figure it out on his own. But… really, I don't know what I should be doing right now, as an assistant manager. I was a player in middle-school, so I never gave much thought to the management side.' I said.

'It's not as hard as you're imagining it to be. Shimizu will come when she's finished with her other responsibilities, and she'll teach you everything you need to know. So what position were you in middle school?' he asked.

'Ah, a Setter like Kageyama-san. Um, and in third year I was the vice-captain along with my friend who was the captain.' I replied, and he grinned.

'Me too! I play Setter, as well. Hey, we've got more in common than we thought, Mogami-san.' He said with a laugh, and I smiled as well.

The gym doors on the other side of the gym to where Hinata and Kageyama-san had been pushed out opened up and Suga-senpai looked over. Three new boys had entered the gym in white shirts, black shorts and their shoes and knee-guards.

Suga-senpai called over the group of three tall boys and they came towards us.

'Guys, this is Mogami Moeka, she'll be an assistant manager starting today! Mogami-san, these are second years, Ennoshita Chikara…'

He gestured to the first boy who had his short black hair brushed to the side to reveal soft but stern brown eyes. He had a small smile on his face, and nodded to me in greeting.

'Kinoshita Hisashi...'

He then gestured to the second boy, who had short, spiked light-brown hair and sharp eyes. He nodded his head in greeting too.

'…And Narita Kazuhito.' Suga-senpai finished, finally gesturing to another shaved-head boy like Tanaka-senpai, although he didn't look as aggressive as Tanaka-senpai did. He nodded to greet me as well.

'Welcome to the club.' The three all said together and I bowed my head in thanks.

'Thank you, for having me - I'll be in your care…! Let's all get along, Ennoshita-senpai, Kinoshita-senpai, and Narita-senpai.' I said, and they gave a 'yeah' in response. Things moved quickly after that, and I was roped in to helping with setting up the volleyball net and wheeling out the baskets filled with volleyballs.

The boys quickly got started on spiking and receiving practice and I observed from the side. For a team ranked 8th they definitely worked harder, but I knew the absence of a coach really put a limit on what they could achieve. I asked Suga-senpai and he told me that they had a coach until a little under a half-year ago when he was admitted to hospital…

Eventually, the gym doors where Hinata and Kageyama-san had been forcefully ejected from to see Shimizu-senpai entering in a pale purple track suit. She was carrying a large blue sports bag. Tanaka-senpai quickly went over to greet her, like an excited puppy and I watched from where I was standing.

'Kiyoko-san! Thanks for all your hard work! I'll carry that for you!' he said.

'No, thanks. I'll carry it myself.' She said shortly, and walked by Tanaka-senpai; he didn't seem to be bothered by her dismissal, in fact, he seemed to... Like it?

'Kiyoko-san, you look lovely again today…!' Tanaka-senpai added, and Shimizu-senpai ignored him, turning over to me and walking over. Behind her, I could see Tanaka-senpai hugging himself again, 'I love it when she ignores me!' he said.

What the…

I saw Suga-senpai quickly closing up the gym doors again out of the corner of my eye, as Shimizu-senpai joined me.

'Hi, there. Sorry I couldn't stick with you before. I had quite a few things to finish off, concerning the club. I didn't mean to keep you waiting so long.' She said.

'Oh no, it's fine!' I shook my head, 'Um, so, I've played volleyball in middle-school but I don't really know a lot about the management side of it, s-so I was wondering if you could…show me the ropes, so to speak.' I said, scratching my cheek nervously.

Shimizu-senpai smiled sweetly and my heart skipped a beat, 'Of course! It's my duty as your senpai to teach you these things. And the fact that you already have knowledge in volleyball already places you in a better position than I was when I first came in as a manager. You'll be fine, so don't worry.' She told me, and brushed her hair behind her ear.

'So, shall we get started?' she asked.

I nodded, 'Yes, please.' I agreed eagerly.

* * *

From there, practice continued on and Shimizu-senpai began talking me through everything I needed to know. In a nutshell, our job was to essentially be there to assist with practice and support our players, like handing them drinks, taking scores in their practice games, helping with setting things up and tidying away after practice. The main point of it was to be a source of support and encouragement for the team.

Which was exactly the kind of role that I wanted to play.

Practice had flown over due to getting used to everything and helping everyone where I could, and as the skies darkened, practice came to an end. Shimizu-senpai and I had already handed out their drinks for them to quench their thirsts, and they were all putting on their black jerseys to avoid getting cold due to the sweat clinging to them from practice.

Tanaka gave a boisterous laugh, making conversation with Suga-senpai, 'Do you think they'll show up asking the club if they can beat us in a match?' he asked and Suga-senpai laughed a little bit.

'Possibly! All they have to do is clear their heads and demonstrate that they've learned the error of their ways.' Suga-senpai nodded.

Tanaka-senpai nodded as well, 'After all, it's not good to make a cute girl worry! Honestly those guys!' he said and I blushed, not used to getting compliments like that so often.

As if it was a cue or something, Hinata and Kageyama-san's voices chorused from outside of the door, calling 'Captain!' and causing Daichi-senpai to jump in surprise.

He went over to open up the door, and Suga-senpai and Tanaka-senpai joined him, having been stood next to the door in the first place. Excusing myself from Shimizu-senpai's side, I went over to have a look as well.

Hinata and Kageyama-san took a breath to collect their selves and then said loudly together, 'We challenge you to a two-on-two match!'

Their statement had Tanaka-senpai laughing, as Hinata continued, 'It'll be us versus you senpai.' He clarified and Tanaka-senpai cried out a 'for real?'

Looks like his prediction had actually been dead on. I smiled, a little relieved that it was so. Perhaps they'd worked something out together – this was good to hear.

'Ready… and…' Hinata and Kageyama-san muttered together under their breath, before continuing again at the same time, 'We will prove that we can play together as a team!' they said.

I chuckled a little, and Tanaka-senpai started another round of belly laughing. Suga-senpai even seemed to smiling at that as well.

'I heard a count-down…' he said.

Tanaka-senpai turned to Daichi-senpai and Suga-senpai, 'But I kinda like guys like them.' He added, still holding his belly, tears in the corner of his eyes.

Daichi-senpai however, was all business, taking their challenge serious; 'And if you lose the match?' he asked them.

'We'll accept any penalty!' Kageyama-san said boldly.

'Hmm? …This should work. Two other first years will be joining us tomorrow. We'll have the two of you play them, three-on-three. It's a game we hold every year for new members to see what they're made of.' Daichi-senpai explained.

Hinata looked confused, 'But, three-on-three…? Who will be playing on our side?' he asked Daichi-senpai.

'Tanaka, I want you to be on their side on game day.' Daichi-senpai said, looking to Tanaka-senpai who looked surprised.

'What? Me?' Tanaka-senpai asked.

'You did say that you kinda liked them, didn't you?' Daichi replied.

'Well yeah, but I don't want to get dragged into their mess!' Tanaka-senpai retorted.

'That's a shame,' Daichi-senpai sighed, 'I really thought you were the only one capable of wrangling these trouble-makers…' he said and Tanaka-senpai twitched. Ah. He got him.

Tanaka-senpai quickly put on a show of it, 'Well if you insist! I'll do it!' he said, and smirked, jumping down to join Kageyama-san and Hinata, patting the latter on the head roughly, 'Aren't you happy to hear that? Ha!' he said.

'So in the event that you lose the game,' Daichi-senpai said, attracting their full attention again; 'For the remainder of my time in high-school, Kageyama will not be allowed to be the Setter.' He said with a tone of finality to his words.

'Hah…?' Kageyama looked like he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

'Is that all…?' Hinata asked, not getting why that was a punishment for them.

'A team can't win with a grand-standing, over-aggressive, ego-centric Setter.' Daichi-senpai explained, and I had to say I agreed with him totally. However, Kageyama-san just seemed angry to hear that. 'What's wrong? I'm not saying that your application will be rejected. I'm sure you can easily handle other positions.' He said.

Kageyama-san seemed to react violently to those implications, 'I am a Setter!' he shouted defiantly.

'Then all you have to do is win. You're here because you thought you could win without any help, right? The game is on Saturday morning!' Daichi-senpai told them.

Hinata noticed that once again all the attention was being put on Kageyama-san, and cried out, 'Hey, I'm here too!'

Tanaka-senpai hummed, 'Hey, you don't need to be afraid! Because, Tanaka-senpai is here to-Gakk!' he choked out as he was hauled back into the gym by force, and the gym doors were closed again with a slam.

I flinched at the sound of the doors slamming, and looked worriedly at the barrier between those inside the gym and those outside.

Nearby me, Tanaka-senpai complained about his sore neck, fiddling with his collar. Suga-senpai, also nearby, looked like he felt a little sorry for them, and me. He could probably sense my concern.

'You know… aren't you being a little too hard on them?' he asked.

Tanaka-senpai turned to Daichi-senpai too, 'You are being more strict than usual, Daichi-san.' He said.

'Um… is there a specific reason for why you're pushing them so hard?' I added in my own question, clenching my fists together in front of my chest as I looked to him. I heard Kageyama-san yelling outside a bit again, but I focused my attention on Daichi-senpai.

* * *

Daichi-senpai's response hadn't been one I was expecting, but it was one that he turned out to have put a lot of thought into which put me at ease.

Tanaka-senpai seemed to be acting a little strangely. I saw him obnoxiously clear his throat, standing by the windows, and looked over to watch him discreetly through my bangs.

'Aw, I guess we really gotta start morning practice at 7 am, right?' he said, not too subtly making his voice loud enough to be heard clearly through the window outside. I widened my eyes in semi-realisation…was he doing what I thought he was doing…?

Suga-senpai however seemed confused that he was asking something he should already know, 'What? Well, yeah. What's gotten into you?' he asked.

I smiled widely, watching as he shook off the questioning and trying to change the subject. After a few moments, I approached him and quietly spoke to him.

'Um… Tanaka-senpai…?' I asked him quietly and he jumped, looking to me with slightly pink cheeks.

'U-Um… yes?' he asked, just as shyly. Which was weird considering how boisterous he seemed.

I shook it off, and gave him a smile, 'Thank you very much for today!' I said to him, and gave him a bow, before going off to join Shimizu-senpai. We then left the stunned Tanaka-senpai to go and get changed out of our sports gear to go home.

' _Hey, you don't need to be afraid! Because, Tanaka-senpai is here!_ '

I was glad that someone was on Hinata and Kageyama-san's side in this match - even if they did need a little ego-poking to get them going. Tanaka-senpai might be another one of my favourites…? I don't know for sure, but I know he's probably a great guy.

And I wasn't going to be shown up in my supporting role so quickly. Looks like tomorrow will be an early one, so I needed to get home and to bed as soon as I could!

* * *

 **Onigiriri: As promised, here's the second chapter of the week! At the very last second too, haha. Some real-life things and Yuri on Ice episode 7 distracted me this week! But here it is, nonetheless!**

 **Pretty dialogue-heavy chapter this time, I hope you don't mind. I had a lot of character introductions and plot-things to get through.**


	12. 12 Your Greatest Ally

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Your Greatest Ally.**

Blinking blearily, I tried to remain vigilant for my stop on the bus the next morning. It was still only just starting to get lighter out, and I'd had to catch the earliest bus from where I lived in the dark, in order to get to Karasuno before 7am training started.

I carried an extra bag with me containing Tupperware containers; a little something I'd prepared for both the boys, and myself, as a pick-me-up since we'd be tired for the rest of the day because of this.

I wondered what kind of expressions they'd have when I arrived. The thought made me smile a little.

Hurriedly, I pressed the button to stop the bus and prepared myself at the bus-doors towards the back, adjusting my woolen scarf around my neck.

After it stopped, I quickly got off the bus and began on my 10-minute trek towards Karasuno. About half-way there, I paused thoughtfully at a vending machine on the road side, before deciding to buy a can of something caffeinated, letting out a huge sigh.

I vaguely heard footsteps nearby, followed by a familiar voice; 'So you had the same idea, Mogami-san?' to which I turned to see Suga-senpai approaching with a grin. He had a light-blue muffler wrapped around his neck, over his black gakuran uniform.

'Oh, Suga-senpai, good morning…!' I replied, tucking my head in a greeting bow.

'G'morning~!' he cheerily replied, and went to get a drink from the same machine as me. Only then did it hit me, what he'd actually said.

'U-Um, what do you mean by "same idea", Suga-senpai…? Isn't it just a coincidence?' I asked nervously, sipping my drink.

'A coincidence at 6 in the morning?' Suga-senpai asked with a tilt of his head and an amused smile, and I stumbled over my attempt at a response; he grinned, 'Tanaka's not very subtle, but I don't think Daichi realised this time, luckily. And don't worry, I won't say anything if you don't. Shall we walk together?' he asked me.

My shoulders sagged with relief, and I shyly nodded, joining Suga-senpai to continue our walk to Karasuno together. We chatted about how chilly it was lately, how winter hadn't quite gone away just yet, and about the volleyball club and its members. For the last few minutes of the walk to school, I thought back to what Daichi-senpai had said yesterday in response to our questioning on his reasoning, with the situation concerning Hinata and Kageyama-san.

* * *

' _You guys saw them play last year. Kageyama supposedly had exceptional ability for a middle schooler, but he had almost nothing to show for it. He needs to change. His individualism will continue to play out in the same way as in middle school. He could drag down the team… What sets the situation apart from middle school is that Hinata is playing on the same team.' Daichi-senpai had explained, his back facing away from Tanaka-senpai, Suga-senpai and I._

 _Tanaka-senpai folded his arms, 'Hinata? Well, yeah. He_ is _kind of like a raw mass of agility.' He mused._

' _Yeah, but he's not yet at his full potential. He has extraordinary speed and reflexes plus that jumping power. But he didn't have an experienced Setter in middle school that he could actually play games with. It's not the same as all the practice he must have done with you, Mogami-san,' Daichi-senpai nodded to me and I nodded back._

 _We could've practiced till we were in perfect sync with each other but that could never be put to use in official matches, after all…_

 _Daichi-senpai continued, 'Kageyama on the other hand, wants a spiker fast enough to hit his tosses… Apart, they are incomplete. But if you put them together and get them to work in combination, Karasuno will evolve by leaps and bounds!' Daichi-senpai finished, smiling confidently, 'Don't you agree?' he asked us._

 _We stood there momentarily stunned, before smiles grew across all of our faces, and we nodded in agreement._

 _I let out a sigh, and Suga-senpai smiled to me, 'Did that put your mind to rest?' he asked and I nodded._

' _Yes! Thank you!' I said, and gave a deep bow to Daichi-senpai, grateful._

* * *

It sounded like a great plan! It'd be nice if Hinata and Kageyama-san could work together! I feel like it could create something amazing if they did. Which is why I wanted to help too, where I could.

I couldn't force them to get along, but I could lend a helping hand, and encourage them when they're wavering, right?

Soon, Suga-senpai and I arrived at the gym. Senpai climbed the steps first, and as he went to pull the gym door open, we could hear Tanaka-senpai talking.

'But we need to keep this morning practice thing just between the three of us.' Tanaka-senpai was saying as Suga-senpai glanced over his shoulder to me, and with a toothy grin.

He put a finger to his lips in a shushing motion. I stifled a giggle behind my gloved hands, and nodded wordlessly. With that, Suga-senpai grabbed the handle to the gym door and pulled it open quickly, causing Tanaka-senpai inside to jump and turn around.

'What's this? So, you are doing morning practice!' Suga-senpai said merrily, taking off his shoes to enter. I followed him inside.

'Suga-san!' Tanaka-senpai exclaimed, and Hinata blinked in surprise.

'Ehh, Mogami-san is here too!?' he called out.

I smiled and lifted up the bag containing the snacks I'd made to show them, 'I figured that since you guys using up so much energy, so early in the morning, you guys could use something to get back that energy. I made some honey-soaked lemon slices…!' I said, my cheeks feeling a little pink at the attention directed at me.

'Waah, Mogami-san, thank you!' Hinata seemed thrilled.

'Th-Thanks!' even Kageyama-san said, bowing his head in thanks. I smiled at that. Tanaka-senpai couldn't say anything, but I could've sworn I saw tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

'Ooh, how thoughtful! You don't mind if I have some too, do you?' Suga-senpai asked me, and I nodded.

'Please help yourself.' I said as he closed the gym door. He went to get his gym shoes out of his bag and get changed into them, sitting down on the floor.

'Anyway, something was obviously up with you yesterday. I was saying to Mogami-san here, and she thought so too. Why else would you offer to take the key when you're always barely on time?' Suga-senpai teased Tanaka-senpai, who flinched; 'But don't worry, I won't say anything about this to Daichi. After all this is kind of exciting. Kind of like a secret crash course!' he said and the other boys sighed out in relief.

I set down my things by the door, and turned to them; 'Suga-senpai and I will be here to help you guys this morning too, so let's work hard and afterwards have a nice treat!' I said, and Tanaka-senpai seemed to break.

He brought his sleeve to cover his eyes, 'Guh…! What'd we ever do to deserve such a cute and kind assistant manager…!' he cried, seeming choked up, to which Suga-senpai laughed out.

I blushed hotly, waving my hands in dismissal, 'E-Eehh, huh…?' I stammered.

'Mogami-san! Toss to me? Bakageyama's been refusing to since we got here!' Hinata said excitedly, coming towards me.

'WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME, IDIOT!?' Kageyama-san snapped, and I sighed out, sweat-dropping at the two first year boys. If I sent a toss to Hinata, then that'd be entirely missing the point of all of this.

'Do your best today guys...! I'll be watching from the side…' I trailed off, realizing I'd lost them. I sighed, and stepped back as Tanaka-senpai went to break them up again, rolling up his sleeves.

After calming Hinata and Kageyama-san down from their impromptu argument, they finally resumed training, and soon it was nearly time for morning practice. Jut another twenty minutes…

With an enthusiastic roar, Tanaka-senpai jumped and spiked the ball sent his way, slamming it down on the other side of the court, before giving a victory shout. In the corner of the gym, Suga-senpai was helping Hinata with receive practice, making encouraging comments at how he was getting much more consistent.

But… Hinata was getting distracted, by the sound of Tanaka-senpai and Kageyama-san practicing.

'Hinata, don't get distracted.' He said with a frown, as Hinata turned to face Kageyama-san.

'I wanna hit that too! Please throw me a toss!' It seemed like Hinata was getting increasingly frustrated with only doing receives, and I could sympathise. Back in Yukigaoka, we did a lot of spiking practice with him since it's what he liked the most, so maybe I ended up spoiling him a bit…? But receives were just as important. That was one of my failings as a 'teacher'… I was too soft, I guess…?

'You love to throw tosses, don't you? So toss one to me!' Hinata said excitedly, doing an impression of the setting position. Kageyama-san was silent, frowning at him. Hinata continued, 'Just one! Just for laughs, okay?!' he asked.

Kageyama-san merely turned away, 'No way,' he refused plainly, surprising our senpai. I however was quickly getting accustomed to it, which I didn't want. I pouted at Kageyama silently.

'W-What are you, a miser!?' Hinata whined, and Tanaka-senpai agreed, and Kageyama-san turned and faster than Hinata could properly react, he served the ball.

It bounced off Hinata's arms into a corner of the gym, and Kageyama-san sighed; 'That one was head on. You receive to make a toss and attack. Don't talk big until you can actually deliver.' He said, turning and walking away again.

'In the 3-on-3 on Saturday, I'm going to send all my tosses to Tanaka-san. We'll leave the attacking to him. Try not to hold us back.' He said, and my pout got more pronounced.

After a moment of frustrated silence, Hinata spoke up, 'Once my receive is up to your standard… will you send me a toss?' he bargained.

'To win, I'll toss to anyone who I think is necessary to win. But right now, I don't think you're good enough to win.' Kageyama-san replied seriously. My frown melted into a sad expression.

That's…a warped way of thinking…

* * *

After that, their secret morning practice finished and Hinata and Kageyama-san had to pack up and sneak out before anyone else showed up. I tidied away the empty Tupperware container that the boys had eagerly taken snacks from in my locker, and changed into my gym clothes in time for the official morning practices.

Suga-senpai, Tanaka-senpai and I had a hard time hiding how sleepy we were from Daichi-senpai, but practice ended without a hitch, and morning classes began.

Nothing really happened in class that was worth noting, although… there was a boy in my class that caught my attention. Not in any special kind of way, mind you…!

Well… he was kind of handsome, with his short curly blond hair, and what looked to be honey coloured eyes. And his black-framed glasses really suited him too. He seemed kind of cold though, so I hadn't even considered approaching him.

…Well, it was lunch break and he'd already left with another guy with dark hair anyway. With a sigh and a stretch, I got up from my desk and decided to go look for a vending machine and get a juice-box or something.

It took me a few minutes to navigate the schools to where I knew there was a machine, near to the volleyball club's gym. As I approached it, I heard some voices talking.

It was Hinata and Suga-senpai. I hid behind the corner not quite knowing why I felt like snooping on them like this… but inwardly I shrugged it off, my curiosity piqued.

As always, it seemed, Hinata was still practicing during breaks. Some things never changed. I wondered why he wasn't tired from the early start he'd had today.

'Say, Hinata, starting tomorrow would you like me to send you some tosses?' Suga-senpai offered as I listened in secretly.

'R-Really!?' Hinata cried, excited.

'I may not look like it, but I am the official setter for Karasuno, you know. You want to practice your spiking, right?' Suga-senpai asked.

'Yes! I love to spike! It feels good when you get it right and it's cooler than anything!' Hinata said happily and I smiled to myself, pressing a button on the vending machine for some pineapple juice as Suga-senpai laughed and responded good-naturedly.

'You really have a thing for spiking!' he commented.

'Yes! Like I said the other day, I didn't have a setter in the boys' team in middle school, or any other teammates until my third year. Before Mogami-san came along I'd always had my friend in the basketball club to toss for me….' Hinata went on to retell his middle school days to the listening ear of Suga-senpai and I quietly listened in while drinking my juice.

'…Mogami-san never had to do anything for me in the first place. The first day that we talked, right away, she offered to help me even when she didn't have to. Mogami-san is so kind to me...! I-I'm so happy for what she did—what she does for me!' he said.

'You sound it. I've only just met her, but I can see what you mean,' Suga-senpai agreed.

'Yeah… but even with all the support everyone gave me… it didn't matter that we were friends. We could never truly be teammates.' Hinata said honestly, 'That's why I was dying to see what kind of Setters were in high school… I-I came here… hoping…' Hinata's tone suddenly dipped to a less optimistic one and he became quiet.

'L-Like I told you, I'm a Setter. I'll throw tosses for you.' Suga-senpai attempted to cheer up the red head.

'Ahh..? …But… it's just that I feel like if I have you throw me tosses, it's like I've lost. Thinking back, it was probably the same this morning when I asked Mogami-san for some too…' Hinata said, conflicted.

'…Why are you so competitive against Kageyama, by the way? As for me, I usually try to avoid fights.' Suga-senpai asked Hinata, as I heard some footsteps closing in. I glanced around the other corner and jumped, seeing Kageyama approaching.

He noticed me too, and his usual frown didn't flicker as he came closer. I backed away from the vending machine, trying to still stay hidden from Suga-senpai and Hinata's conversation.

'…In that middle school tournament… Kageyama was good at everything he did. He was taller than me, and stronger too. I absolutely hated him standing in my way...!' I heard Hinata say, as I watched Kageyama-san approach the vending machine with a yawn.

Kageyama-san glanced at me wordlessly, before putting in some coins and pressing two buttons in combination, calling for a milk box carton.

'So I came here to Karasuno because I wanted to beat him.' Hinata added.

'Hum? So, tell me, Hinata… do you play volleyball because you want to beat Kageyama?' Suga-senpai asked and it got Kageyama-san's attention. He joined me in observing their situation. He seemed a little surprised.

'Err… Rather, I want to become strong enough to beat Kageyama. That way, I'll be able to face all kinds of tough opponents as equals and I won't lose games that easily. I don't want to lose ever again!' Hinata explained in response.

'So, you're saying that, for you, Kageyama currently takes the top ranking in your own age-group, am I right?' Suga-senpai asked and Hinata audibly flinched.

He seemed to struggle a lot with his answer, before hesitantly biting out a 'Y…Yeeeah…'

I chuckled quietly, muffling it behind my hand, and Kageyama glanced back at me from Hinata and Suga-senpai. With a mute nod, he then left the vending machine in the direction that he'd come from.

In a split second decision of mine, I decided to follow after him, discarding my now empty juice box in the bin. As I left, I heard Suga-senpai's final words.

'If he was your most powerful enemy in middle school, now he's your most powerful ally.' He said.

It sounded almost poetic the way he put it and I couldn't agree more with what he said. Now that we're in the same high school, neither Hinata nor I should be thinking of Kageyama-san as an enemy any more.

Instead, we should think of him as an ally and friend!

Which was what I wanted to get started on…

* * *

'U-Um…! Kageyama-san, please wait up…!' I called out, running a little to catch up with the black-haired setter. I wasn't expecting him to respond to him a little, but he actually _did_ slow down a little bit for me, to my relief.

I caught up with him and slowed to the same pace as him, letting out a puff of air. I nervously looked up to him, trying to smile nicely.

'I-I never properly introduced myself yesterday, or today either. I'm Mogami Moeka, class 1-4 this year. Hinata-kun and I were from the same mi-' I was cut by his reply.

'I know who you are. You were the one who was cheering obnoxiously at that game last year. I realised you were familiar when I saw you but I couldn't put my finger on it right away.' he said and I flinched at the adverb he chose, 'I didn't know your name though.' He admitted after a thought.

I sweat-dropped a little, and shook off the light insult, 'So i-is it alright if I call you Kageyama-san? Or would you prefer something else?' I asked him.

He was silent for a bit, and I followed him awaiting a response as we re-entered the schools for a bit; eventually, he stopped walking he replied, 'You can drop the –san.'

I sighed and smiled, 'Okay, Kageyama-kun then.' I said and he turned his face away from me.

'Break will be over soon, so I'm going back to my class now. Yours is in the other direction.' He said shortly, before continuing on his way. I gasped and stepped after him a bit.

'Kageyama-kun!' I called and he paused, not turning around to face me, 'S-Since I'm an assistant manager for the team, I'm supporting all it's players and th-that includes you. If you need anything, um, you can ask me. I'll do my best to help!' I told him nervously.

He didn't respond for a while and I thought it had gone unheard. I sighed a little, and prepared to turn back to my classroom when he actually responded.

'Actually… I have a question.' He reluctantly said and I turned my attention to him.

'Yes?' I asked eagerly.

'…Did that Hinata… really practice even in the hallways back then?' he asked and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

'Yes! Anywhere and anytime he could, Hinata was always thinking about or playing volleyball! I get the feeling that… you're like that too, right Kageyama-kun?' I asked him and he looked at me incredulously, turning slightly.

'I mean,' I continued, 'You really love volleyball too, like Hinata-kun does, right?' I asked him. He seemed to calm down a little, and sighed out.

'Yeah…' he agreed, and turned to continue on his way back to class as the end of break bells signaled, 'See you later, Mogami-san.' He said, nodding his head to me and leaving.

I smiled, satisfied with our little talk, and patted my chest in relief. Well that went okay. Kageyama is a little strange to talk to, but with a new school comes new faces and new personalities. I feel like maybe Kageyama and I will get along all right if I keep at it.

With a purpose in mind I nodded to myself, and headed back to class as well. As I re-entered the classroom, I saw the glasses-wearing blond and his friend follow closely after me, pulling his red headphones from his ears and putting them away as he took a seat.

I wondered why my eyes kept going to that guy…

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Here we go, another chapter! Some Suga and Kageyama interaction with Mogami this time, as well as some not-so-subtle foreshadowing for the next chapter's new canon characters~**

 **Hope you liked it! I'd love any feedback you guys have on that Kageyama scene. Was it ok?**


	13. 13 Tsukishima Kei and Yamaguchi Tadashi

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 13 – Tsukishima Kei and Yamaguchi Tadashi.**

Well, as it turned out, the fact that my eyes kept being drawn to my blond classmate must've been fate's way of warning me, or something poetic like that.

I found myself startled that afternoon afterschool at volleyball practice. I'd been watching as the boys did their preparatory stretching drills pre-practice, leaning on the trolley filled with volleyballs. A few minutes after they finished, Tanaka-senpai and Suga-senpai were being questioned for yawning excessively by Daichi-senpai when _they_ entered the gym.

My jaw dropped, upon seeing the tall blond boy with glasses and his tall-but-not-as-tall friend with dark hair and freckles standing there, still in their gakuran uniforms, at the entrance to the gym.

'Hey, you're here. Ah, guys, these are the other two first years joining our club. Line up.' Daichi-senpai said and everyone but myself started heading over from their activities. Suga-senpai had to snap me out of it and guide me towards my classmates.

This had to be some weird, crazy coincidence right? Or was I psychic…? No, that's too weird.

Daichi-senpai gestured towards the tall blond first, 'This is Tsukishima Kei,' he said, and then moved to gesture towards the other boy, 'And this is Yamaguchi Tadashi.' He said, and the two of them nodded slightly in response. Yamaguchi-san glanced at me and widened his eyes, seemingly recognizing me, but Tsukishima-san paid me no attention.

'Let me explain. We normally start new members next week, but due to the game on Saturday, practically speaking, that's when they'll be starting.' He said.

They bowed their heads in greeting, 'Pleased to meet you.' They both chorused politely.

Yamaguchi-san then turned his head to face me me, his eyes lighting up with recognition, 'Ah, you're from our class, right?' he asked, snapping me out of my stupor, as he stepped towards me.

I flushed, and nodded, bowing my head, 'Mogami Moeka. I'm an assistant manager for this club, but I didn't realise you guys were the new applicants.' I said.

'Well, I think this is the first we're talking to each other so that's only natural. Right, Tsukki?' Yamaguchi-san said, turning to his friend.

At the sound of his friend's voice, Tsukishima-san turned to face the two of us, glancing to me, before shrugging his shoulders.

'Yeah.' He said softly.

Yamaguchi-san hummed, looking around, 'So, senpai said that we were going to have a three-on-three with other first years this weekend but I don't see any other first years around. Do you know more about what's going on, Mogami-san?' he asked, turning to me.

'One of them is the King of the Court, right?' Tsukishima-san added.

' _King of the Court_? Oh, you must mean Kageyama-kun…! Um, yes. Your opponents will be Kageyama-kun, and my friend Hinata-kun.' I confirmed for them, 'They had some trouble with being teammates because of a previous rivalry from middle school, you see. So in order to get them to work as a team, Daichi-senpai proposed this match. If they win, they get to take part in club activities like you two, but right now they're barred, which is why they're not practicing here. And if they lose, Kageyama-kun can't play Setter while our third years are still here.' I said, explaining the situation to the two boys.

'Ooh, I see.' Yamaguchi-san nodded, understanding.

Tsukishima-san smirked, glancing at the darkening sky outside through the gym's windows, 'I see, so that's what's going on. That King is still the same as he's always been, huh. Figures.' He said.

'Hey, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi! Hurry up and get changed so you can start practicing!' Daichi-senpai called to the boys.

'Right…!' Yamaguchi-san called back in response, and Tsukishima-san merely nodded.

As they turned to go and get changed, Tsukishima-san huffed out a sigh, 'But still, I never would've thought I'd end up on the same team as that guy. This club is going to be more difficult than I anticipated… I wonder if I can even work with a guy like that…' he said, frowning.

'A guy like that?' I repeated, furrowing my brows.

Tsukishima-san paused on his way out to look back over his shoulders, 'Oh, haven't you heard the rumours about Kageyama? They call him 'the King of the Court' because he's overbearing like a dictator on the volleyball court! He was so bad that all of his teammates just abandoned him in the middle of a match and refused to follow him anymore. He really is the worst.' he explained.

I stared at him in disbelief, 'T-That's… not very nice to say about someone you've never met, Tsukishima-san.' I said to him, still taken aback. Of course, I knew about what people said, too, but still...!

'But it's not a lie.' Tsukishima responded calmly, 'If you don't believe me, why don't you just ask him yourself. After all, you guys seem to be buddies now, right?' he added nonchalantly, before leaving the gym. Yamaguchi looked between the two of us a little nervously, before stepping outside as well.

I watched the open doorway, deep in thought. Was that true? Did Kageyama's teammates really abandon him…?

Maybe I should ask Kageyama-kun…? Ahh, but it seems like it would be a touchy subject, if it's even true.

* * *

I didn't want to think about it, at least not right now. For now, I wanted to focus on practice. After that, I think I'll go and look for Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun!

And so, for the moment, I went about my duties as assistant manager, going to stand in as a second Setter, to help the boys practice their spikes and receive. Practice went over in a hurry, and the senpai let Tsukishima-san, Yamaguchi-san and I leave to change, so after getting back into my school uniform, I went to search the school grounds for Kageyama-kun and Hinata-kun.

When I found them, they were on the track field, still practicing under the glow of the streetlights. After Kageyama-kun served the ball, I saw Hinata dive to try to receive it, only to collapse as he caught it off his hand and it bounced away from him, rolling in my direction.

Hinata pulled himself up with all his might, 'O-One more…' Hinata wheezed, despite his fatigue.

I picked up the ball as it came to me and I jogged lightly to join them, 'Hinata-kun! Kageyama-kun!' I called out to them and they glanced my way.

'Mogami-san! Practice is over already?' Hinata cried, a little dismayed. Kageyama-kun bowed his head with a small greeting.

'Yeah they're tidying away now. They let me and the other first years go a little earlier, so I came to see how you were doing out here.' I said.

'The other first years - You've met our opponents?' Hinata asked, and Kageyama-kun gave me his full attention.

'I did,' I nodded to them, 'They're both pretty tall. And they're also classmates of mine. Their names are Tsukishima Kei and Yamaguchi Tadashi.' I told them, and they nodded to say they understood.

'Leaking information on us to the other team, Mogami-san? That's a little unfair.' Came the drawling voice of Tsukishima-san.

I turned around to face Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san as they approached from behind me. Tsukishima-san had his headphones around his collar again, and he was smirking over my shoulder at Kageyama-kun and Hinata behind me.

Surprising me, Tsukishima-san grabbed the volleyball from me that I had still been holding onto, and he continued walking by me and closer towards Hinata and Kageyama-kun.

'Wow, so you're really practicing outside. So you're the first years that were causing trouble for our senpai. We heard all about you from them, and Mogami-san.' He added, looking his competition up and down.

Yamaguchi laughed a bit, following his friend, 'Whoa, in t-shirts and shorts, too? Aren't you cold?' he said.

'T-Tall…!' Hinata gaped, noticing the height difference between him and Tsukishima-san now that they were closer to him, as if he hadn't grasped it when I'd told him myself that they were. 'G-Give us back the ball!' he demanded.

Tsukishima-san held the ball up above his head as if teasing Hinata, 'Shouldn't kids in elementary school be home by now?' he said with a smirk, as Hinata started jumping to try and get the ball.

Huh? Why is Tsukishima-san trying to push their buttons? And why is Hinata falling for it, for that matter? Usually, height jabs only fuel his motivation.

Kageyama-kun on the other hand, was curious, 'Hey. How tall are you?' he asked Tsukishima-san, getting their attention.

'Hey!' Hinata cried, agitated. I decided to go over to join them, frowning a little. I thought things were calming down, but then Tsukishima-san had to stir things up again…!

'Tsukki is 6 foot 2! He'll be 6 foot 3 soon!' Yamaguchi-san said, sounding proud.

'Why are you the one bragging, Yamaguchi?' Tsukishima-san asked his friend, sighing.

'Sorry, Tsukki!' Yamaguchi-san said, smiling apologetically.

'So you're Kageyama from Kitagawa Daiichi, right? What's an elite player like you doing at Karasuno of all places?' Tsukishima-san asked Kageyama-kun.

'Uh?' Kageyama-san asked, frowning.

'Hey!' Hinata raised his voice again, getting everyone to turn to him, 'We're not going to lose to you guys on Saturday, you hear?!' he said determinedly and I grinned a little.

'I know you can do it, Hinata-kun, Kageyama-kun.' I nodded to the both of them, to which Hinata grinned at me and nodded back, as did Kageyama-kun; although he didn't smile, I could see under the light of the streetlights that his cheeks were a little pink.

It was silent for a little bit as we waited for Tsukishima-san's response to Hinata's declaration, and after a while, he tapped the ball to his forehead, not looking too ruffled.

'Oh, I see…' he said softly, and began tossing the ball up and down one-handed, 'Mogami-san did tell me that this is an important match for the two of you, but it means nothing to us. We don't care about winning or losing. If you're so worried about winning… do you want us to throw the match?' he asked, stopping his tosses, and lifting it higher with a smirk.

Hinata looked scandalized, and I was a bit confused too. Kageyama-kun just frowned.

'It doesn't matter to me if you throw the match or give it all you've got. I'm still going to win.' Kageyama-kun said, confident in his words.

'You mean _we_!' Hinata corrected, annoyed.

Tsukishima-san, surprisingly, laughed at that; 'What confidence! You're the King all right!' he said, finding this all very amusing.

'Hey… don't call me that!' Kageyama-kun said, looking very angry, but also a little frustrated underneath the anger.

'Oh, so it's true.' Tsukishima-san said.

'Hah?!' Kageyama-kun grunted.

'I heard that when someone calls you 'The King of the Court' you always lose your temper. Not bad, King! That's so cool!' Tsukishima-san kept riling him up and I started getting a little angry. I took another step closer, as he continued, 'I think it really suits you, _King_!' he added.

I tapped his arm, 'Come on, Tsukishima-san, don't you think that's enough? What're you getting out of messing with Kageyama-kun like that?' I asked him, but he didn't say a word in response to me.

'What's your problem?' Kageyama-kun said through his gritted teeth. Tsukishima brushed my hand away lightly, and began walking in Kageyama-kun's direction.

'I saw your performance at the prefectural finals.' Tsukishima-san said and Kageyama-kun visibly flinched, 'I'm shocked that your teammates put up with your self-serving tosses for so long, actually. I'd never be able to—Ah! Maybe that's why they all turned their backs on you, huh?' he said and Kageyama-kun finally snapped.

He whirled around and grabbed Tsukishima-san by his collar threateningly and I yelped in shock.

'H- _Hey_!' I gasped, and went over to grab at Kageyama-kun's sleeve, 'Don't buy into his provocation, Kageyama-kun! If you let him get to you, then you've lost!' I said to Kageyama-kun, and turned to Tsukishima-san, 'And Tsukishima-san, why are you even saying all of this to him? Come on, Kageyama-kun, let go…!' I said, trying to get Kageyama-kun to pry open his fingers from Tsukishima-san's collar as Yamaguchi joined my side.

Slowly, but surely, he uncurled his fingers and stepped away with an angry huff. He began to walk away as Tsukishima-san hummed, turning to me with an even expression.

'Was it really your place to step in there, Mogami-san?' he asked me, and I looked at him with a confused expression. He rubbed the back of his neck, giving a smile that didn't look entirely genuine, 'I was just having a bit of fun after all. And if Kageyama didn't like it he's perfectly capable of standing up for himself.' He said and I swallowed.

I went to look at Kageyama-kun to see him picking up his back, 'We're leaving.' He said to Hinata, who blinked at him in surprise.

'Huh, but why? And where to?' he asked, as Tsukishima-san went to pick up the dropped volleyball.

'Are you running away? I guess the King is nothing special after all…' Tsukishima-san said. Hinata turned to look at him angrily, 'What if we win against the King on Saturday…?' he said, throwing the ball up high into the air, and before any of us could blink, Hinata was there in the air above Tsukishima-san, with the ball in his possession.

He spun around to look in shock, as Hinata landed on the ground with the ball held in both hands;

'Stop going on and on about 'Kings'! I'm here too! I'll smack this ball right over your head that the game on Saturday!' he said, looking up at Tsukishima-san with a fiery determination.

Tsukishima-san stared down at him, still a little shocked by Hinata's jump, before collecting himself.

'What did you say…?' he said, looking a little annoyed. Hinata immediately backed off a bit, startled by his tone.

'W-What's it to you? Y-You wanna start something…?' Hinata nervously said, trying to seem unaffected but not really succeeding.

Tsukishima sighed out, and plastered on a smile for Hinata, 'There's really no need for all this hostility and drama, ok? Let's just enjoy this sport, no fuss. After all, it's just a club.' He said and Hinata frowned deeply.

'Just a club…?' he repeated, disbelievingly, 'What do you mean by that?!' he asked, looking defensive.

'I meant it exactly as it sounded like. Well, see ya later. Yamaguchi, let's go.' Tsukishima-san said, calling his friend and walking away.

'C-Coming, Tsukki!' Yamaguchi-san said, following after him.

I went to stand by Hinata and Kageyama-kun, as they frowned watching them leave.

'Wh-what's with them? They were totally rude!' Hinata said, still a little agitated.

I hummed, 'I don't really know… Well, Yamaguchi-san seemed like a nice guy. But I'm not sure what to make of Tsukishima-san just yet…' I said, and then uncertainly glanced at Kageyama-kun. He wasn't looking my way.

Like Tsukishima-san said, had I butted in to the wrong thing…? Was Kageyama-kun mad at me for that?

Hinata turned to Kageyama-kun, 'We're totally gonna beat them this weekend!' he declared, and the black haired setter turned to get his bag and leave again.

'That goes without saying.' He said as he walked away.

'Hey, where are you going?!' Hinata asked him and Kageyama-kun looked to him questioningly, 'We aren't done practicing yet, right?' he said with a grin.

Kageyama-kun looked at him a moment, before wordlessly putting down his bag and nodding.

As he rejoined us, Hinata looked to me, 'Are you gonna stick around and watch, Mogami-san?' he asked. I blinked, and looked at my watch.

'I-I have to catch my bus soon… if I miss it I'll have to wait for another hour.' I replied, bowing my head in apology.

'Oh, okay. See you, then. Me and Kageyama are gonna totally be ready to beat those rude jerks on Saturday! Just you wait and see!' he said confidently with a grin.

I smiled and nodded, 'Don't stay out too late. You guys were up pretty early this morning so you need to get proper rest. Oh!' I gasped as I remembered, and pulled out a leftover Tupperware box from this morning, 'There's still a few of these left. You can return the box to me tomorrow, ok?' I said, handing it to Hinata.

'Ossu!' Hinata cried, 'Thanks, Mogami-san!' he said and I nodded, turning to leave with a wave.

I waved to Kageyama-kun too, 'See you tomorrow too, Kageyama-kun!' I said to him, and he looked to me and gave. He was looking at me again… maybe he wasn't mad after all?

As I turned and headed off, the last I heard from Hinata was 'Okay! Send me another one!' followed by loud grunting noise. I shook my head with a sigh. He probably received it with his face again…

* * *

I arrived home about 40 minutes later, and greeted my parents before sitting down to have dinner together. After dinner was finished, I headed up to my room to change, and turned on my laptop to get changed while I waited for it to load up.

Once I got logged in, I opened up Skychat and lo' and behold, Michiko had been waiting for me. The ringtone sounded barely a few seconds after I'd opened it up, so I hit the answer button.

A screen pulled up, and in it appeared my friend, still dressed in her school uniform at this hour.

'What's the big idea, already changing out of your uniform, Moeka-chan! After I went to the trouble to keeping mine on so you could see mine, see?' she said, putting on a fake-annoyed whine as she got up and did a twirl to show off her uniform.

She was dressed in a navy blue blazer jacket, with a black v-neck jumper, and white dress-shirt underneath it, along with a dark-grey skirt, and a red and white tie.

I smiled apologetically, 'S-Sorry, Micchan. I forgot. But you can see mine, too, over there in the background – its hanging up on the wall!' I said with a laugh.

'Soooo not the same~' Michiko said teasingly, grinning at me; 'Anyways, how is Karasuno going so far? You said you were gonna take up manager position this year, right?' she asked me.

'Yeah, that's right. And Hinata-kun's already gotten himself in trouble…' I said with a smile and a sigh.

'Ooh, do tell!' Michiko said excitedly.

'You'll never believe it. Remember the match Hinata-kun's team had last year against Kitagawa Daiichi and the prodigal setter?' I said to her, and she nodded, 'It turns out that same setter, Kageyama Tobio, is going to our school too now, and they're both in the volleyball club together this year.' I added.

'Uh oh! I can kinda see where this is going. Tell me more! I want all the spicy details~' Michiko said, rubbing her hands together. I laughed, and agreed, beginning to tell her the full story. It took me around ten minutes to sum it all up so my friend understood.

'Sounds exciting! More exciting than over here, at least…' Michiko nodded, and rested her hand on her cheek.

I tilted my head, 'Didn't you join the volleyball club over there…?' I asked her.

'Well I tried…' she sighed dramatically, 'But get this – they _don't have a girls volleyball team_ here. So annoying…! There's only a boys' team. It's like the opposite of middle school!' she said.

'Huh? I thought a big Tokyo school like Nekoma would have one for sure!' I said, blinking in surprise.

'Right? I thought so too!' Michiko cried, and sighed out heavily, 'Maybe I should follow your lead and apply for a manager position too? But I wanna _play_ though…' she said, conflicted.

I frowned, 'I don't know what I should say, Micchan. I'm sorry.' I said.

She shook her head with a grin, 'Don't be! I'll figure it out. So, tell me more about your school. Did you make any new friends for yourself, or are you just sticking to _Hinata-kun_ ~? And I mean outside of the club, for the record!' Michiko asked.

I grimaced, 'I made friends with plenty of people inside the club…two of them are my classmates but I'm not so sure about one of them… But outside of the club, no, I haven't really talked to anyone…' I said honestly, prodding my thumbs together.

'Well that's no good! Try to make some female friends soon, okay?' she said.

'There's Shimizu-senpai…' I mentioned my senpai from the club.

'That's a start! But I'm talking about someone not related to volleyball. Think about it, okay?' Michiko said, and gave a smile, 'For me?' she added.

I sighed and nodded, 'O-Okay, if there's an opportunity, I'll try.' I agreed.

'Good!' Michiko said and gave a sigh of relief, 'That makes me feel better!' she added.

I leaned forward, 'How about you? Made any new friends?' I asked.

'Yeah, but no girls yet. There's this funny guy in my class, he's like a giant! And get _this_ , he's a half! Tokyo's pretty cool – you don't get guys this interesting in the countryside, that's for sure.' Michiko gushed.

'A half? From where?' I asked as my interest piqued.

'From Russia! But unfortunately, he doesn't speak any Russian. He said he was raised here…' Michiko replied, and we carried on chatting for a good hour before having to stop for the night. It felt good to speak to my friend again, even though it wasn't in person.

I wondered, as I got ready for bed, what the match in a couple of days would turn out like…

* * *

 **Onigiriri: -casually slips in which school I decided to put Michiko in- By the way 'half' is the term Japanese people generally use to call someone who is biracial, i.e. ethnically half-Japanese. So I'm pretty sure you know who she's talking about. ;)**

 **I'm not too sure about this chapter. Tsukki was going to be a jerk no matter what, but at least he wasn't mean to Moeka, right? He'll get better with time, like Kageyama will, but Tsukki will be Tsukki, right? Tell me what you think! By the way, I also wanted to thank you all for your support so far, it's incredible, this story already has over 100 followers. I really appreciate and love you all~ 3**


	14. 14 Three-On-Three Matches

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 14 – The 3-on-3 Matches.**

The next morning, after chatting with Michiko into the late evening, I'd come to a decision regarding Kageyama-kun and what I'd done last night. I'd never get any definitive answers about whether or not he was mad at me for butting in on something personal unless I asked him about it.

And so with that thought in mind, I attended the secret early morning practices again. I'd been planning on asking him after the secret practice ended, but as luck would have it, I spotted Kageyama-kun on the way to school.

He was yawning a lot, and slouching slightly. Maybe he stayed up late.

I joined him, hiding my own yawn, and greeted him good morning.

'G'mornin'…' he mumbled in return, before letting out another yawn. He seemed pretty calm, but that might just be because he was tired. But I decided it was worth asking anyway.

'Um, Kageyama-kun…?' I asked uncertainly, gripping my bag nervously. He glanced sideways down at me, and I continued, my cheeks pink, 'A-About yesterday after school…when Tsukishima-san was there…Um, I-I kind of overstepped my boundaries, stepping in between the two of you. I wanted to say sorry about that. I h-had no right.' I said softly. I turned to face him and gave a bow, 'I'm sorry!' I said, staying quiet after that for a moment.

He didn't say anything in response; all was quiet. Dreading what kind of face he would be making, I lifted my head, only to find him looking incredibly confused.

'Why are you apologizing, dumbass?' Kageyama-kun said incredulously.

'D-Dumbass…?' I gaped, surprised at his answer, 'U-Um because I overstepped my boundaries and got involved in something p-personal to y—' Kageyama cut me off, shaking a hand at me.

'Wait, stop! I—I was never angry at you for that, that's stupid. That's why I called you a…' he paused, and sighed out, 'You had a point. If I let people like that get to me, I'm just letting myself get distracted from what's important. Winning.' He said.

I stared at him, letting out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding, 'So you're not angry at me…?' I repeated.

'I said I wasn't already!' he sort of snapped at me, but it still made me smile. Kageyama-kun was turning pretty red - it was kind of cute. I didn't think he was so awkward.

'Are you sure? Because your face always looks kind of angry.' I said, before covering my mouth. Maybe I shouldn't tease him, that's not like me…

'Wah-!? NO IT DOESN'T!' Kageyama-kun said, looking at me with a red face. I stifled a laugh, and then paused, thinking I heard something in the distance.

It was like some sort of thundering rumble behind us… kind of like a stampede. We curiously glanced behind us, in time to see Hinata flash past us, peddling on his bicycle like a maniac.

'I'm gonna beat you to the gym, Kageyamaaaa!' he yelled back and Kageyama-kun let out some kind of roar, bolting after Hinata.

'Oh no you don't—GET BACK HERE!' he yelled after the red-head. I kind of just watched, a little bewildered. After letting that scene sink in, I let out a muffled laugh, and began jogging to catch up with them. Not like I could, but hey, I was wearing a skirt!

* * *

Later, after we all made it to the gym, we noticed that Tanaka-senpai was running late. Luckily, I'd borrowed the keys for today, and we managed to get inside.

The boys got warmed up and started practicing. They seemed to be set on continuing to practice Hinata's receiving skills, and they'd been going for quite a while. Suga-senpai showed up a little after they started, and we greeted each other, before he joined me in watching from the side.

Fifteen minutes or so later, Hinata and Kageyama-kun were still going at it. Hinata's receiving had been getting gradually better and I think Kageyama-kun had noticed it too.

There was a metal clanging at the gym door, and in came Tanaka-senpai, surprisingly laid back considering how late he was.

He'd been singing some sort of song as he came in, but when he saw that Hinata and Kageyama were already hard and work he looked a little stunned. Watching them, he walked up by Suga-senpai and I.

I smiled to him and greeted him, 'Good morning, Tanaka-senpai~' I said.

He blushed and replied, 'M-Morning!' and then turned to Suga-senpai, 'How long have they been at this?' he asked.

'Well, I just got here 15 minutes ago.' Suga-senpai responded.

'Non-stop?' Tanaka-senpai asked.

'They've been practicing for closer to 25 minutes, and yeah, without breaks. Since the match is getting closer, they're extra determined.' I clarified.

'But everyone has their limits!' We heard Kageyama-kun say as he spiked the ball again, as if in response to what I'd said. The ball went flying towards Hinata and bounced off his red, sore forearms, 'We should give it a r—' he was cut off by Hinata.

'NOT YET! The ball hasn't hit the floor yet!' Hinata yelled at Kageyama, determined and pushing through his exhaustion. I covered my mouth, feeling a bit emotional.

Kageyama-kun grunted, and sent another spike his way, but it went way over the intended mark and sailed over Hinata's head towards the end of the gym. I gasped.

'Yikes, that's mean! Can Hinata even get that?' Tanaka-senpai commented and Kageyama-kun flinched, realizing his flub.

But that wasn't going to hold Hinata back, I knew, smiling behind the hands over my mouth as I watched them.

Hinata grunted, and began sprinting after the ball, as Suga-senpai spoke; 'Hinata's athletic ability has been amazing since middle school, that's for sure. But I also think he has a tenacity for victory that's completely separate from that.' He said and I could only nod.

That's right. Before Hinata, outside of sports manga or dramas, I'd never met anyone who wanted to win so badly and had the determination to keep fighting no matter what the odds were. It's kind of unbelievable, like something out of fiction. Hinata is something else all right…

And as Hinata's speed suddenly picked up out of nowhere, I'm sure that Kageyama-kun and our senpai could see it too.

With a burst of speed nobody but I saw coming, Hinata leapt towards the ball and managed to catch it with his forearm, sending it flying back up before he tumbled to the ground.

As the ball came back to Kageyama-kun's space I grinned, watching as he finally put his hands up in position to Set the ball for Hinata.

'…Kageyama threw a toss..!' Suga-senpai said, amazed.

Tanaka-senpai turned to look at the exhausted Hinata, 'But…Hinata won't have the strength to—' he began.

'Don't underestimate Hinata-kun, senpai.' I said with a grin, and we watched as an excited smile bloomed on Hinata's face, and he took off, speeding to catch up with the toss.

He made it to the net in the blink of an eye and leapt to the air, his spiking hand poised, and with a great swing of his arm, his hand made contact, spiking the ball over the net.

It hit against the gym's floor with a loud smack, and Hinata landed soon after. He looked to his throbbing hand as if in wonder.

'That guy can really jump…' Suga-senpai said softly, surprised.

'I can't believe he actually got it after all that… and he looked so grateful.' Tanaka-senpai commented.

'That must be important to Hinata. Because of how things were for him in middle school… ah, he told me all about how you helped him back then, by the way.' Suga-senpai said, glancing to me.

'O-Oh, he did…?' I asked, trying to sound innocent. I didn't know how to say I'd been eavesdropping on that particular conversation…

Suga-senpai nodded, 'To us, getting tosses from our team's setter was just normal. But to Hinata, he's never had an official setter of his own. One he could play official matches with, that is.' He added, and we watched as Hinata sat on the ground, hunched over and panting heavily.

Kageyama-kun walked towards him, and spoke, 'Hey.' He said and Hinata looked up; 'We're going to win tomorrow.' Kageyama-kun said to him and I squeaked a little, feeling emotional.

My senpai looked at me in surprise, and I blushed. I couldn't help it.

Kageyama-kun said ' _We._ ' Finally…!

Hinata grinned, and nodded enthusiastically, 'Of.. Of cou—MMPH!' Hinata cut himself off, when all of a sudden he threw up on the gym floor and I nearly shrieked.

'H-Hinata-kun…!?' I cried, running towards him and patting his back as he continued to barf, while Suga-senpai and Tanaka-senpai went to fetch water, a mop and bucket.

'K-Kageyama-kun, grab his water bottle…?' I frantically turned to Kageyama-kun, who looked shocked.

He nodded, 'O-Ossu…' and went to grab the bottle as I rubbed Hinata's back gently, feeling sympathetic. What a mood killer…

* * *

The rest of that day went over rather quickly, as everyone squeezed in some last minute practice for the 3-on-3 match, and the next day finally came.

Today was finally the day that would decide if Hinata and Kageyama-kun could join practices, and also decide Kageyama-kun's position on the team as a Setter or not.

It was a big day, to be sure, at least for the people involved. I had just arrived in the gym that morning when I spotted Kageyama-kun, already holding a volleyball, experimentally bouncing it against the ground with a thoughtful expression.

At the sound of the gym doors as I opened them, Kageyama-kun glanced back over his shoulder.

I waved to him as I put down my bag, saying 'Good morning~' and he nodded. Smiling, I added 'Today's the big day, huh? I hope things go well for you two.'

Kageyama snorted, as if it was a given, and boldly said 'Of course it will. We'll make sure of it,' and I smiled wider. He said 'we' again…!

Maybe today's match _would_ go well!

After that, everyone quickly came into the gym, from Hinata and the other first years, Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san, to the 2nd year and 3rd year senpai, and Shimizu-senpai also joined us. I went to stand beside her at the scoreboard that we had wheeled out for today. The net was just about finished being set up by the 2nd year trio, Ennoshita-senpai, Kinoshita-senpai and Narita-senpai.

'Right! Let's get started everyone!' Daichi-senpai said, getting everyone's attention as the ones playing did their warm-up stretches. Daichi-senpai pointed to Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san, 'I'll be playing on Tsukishima's team.' He said.

Hinata sprung up, surprised, 'Huh? You, captain?' he asked.

Daichi-senpai laughed a little, 'Don't worry! Tanaka has more attacking power than me. But I won't be going easy on you either.' He reassured Hinata.

Then Tsukishima-san decided to say something, 'So, the shorty or Tanaka… which one should I crush—I mean, _pin down_ today…?' he said, looking to rile up his opponents. 'Oh that reminds me! I sure would like to see the King lose!' he added further bait. And both Hinata and Kageyama-kun twitched.

'T-Tsukki..! They can hear you.' Yamaguchi-san whispered to him.

Tsukishima sighed, 'I know. That's the point.' He said. Daichi-senpai commented that he was amazed at Tsukishima-san's ''bad'' attitude.

I could only sigh in exasperation.

In theory, it's a good tactic, to make the opponent angrier and therefore more sloppy…

'Watching the King get abandoned by his followers during that match in middle school sure was a spectacle to see.' Tsukishima-san added with a shrug.

It was then that Tanaka-senpai finally got involved; it had looked like he had something to say since Tsukishima-san had started talking.

With a weird kind of walk, he came over towards the net where Kageyama-kun and Hinata were standing; as he did he said in a slightly feminine voice, 'Hey, hey~ Did you hear that? That Tsukishima guy is trash-talking the two of you~ He really is such a brat. I guess we'll just have to…' he trailed off, and then a fierce, competitive scowl appeared on his face, '…give him _the thrashing of his life_!' he growled out.

Looks like Tsukishima-san got on his nerves too…

I sighed out annoyed, but had a small grin, more like grimace on my face.

Shimizu-senpai turned to look at me, 'Are you okay?' she asked, and smiled, 'Nervous for them?' she asked.

'W-Well, that too. But mostly, Tsukishima-san is kind of stressing me out.' I replied, pouting. Shimizu-senpai tilted her head, the words lost on her. But nonetheless, her confused look was also very cute. No wonder most of the boys are smitten with her on this team…

'They'll be okay. You said they made some good progress yesterday, right?' Shimizu-senpai said encouragingly. I nodded, smiling a little, and turned my attention to the court, as the two teams lined up.

With that, the match began. Because of Tsukishima-san's words, the Kageyama-Hinata team was all fired up, and already had a lead on the points for the first set thanks to Tanaka-senpai's enthusiastic spiking.

'Tanaka-senpai, that was so cool!' Hinata cheered, and it fired up our senpai even more, to the point where he pulled off his shirt and started flinging it around above his head like a lasso. I gasped and covered my eyes, and Shimizu chuckled at me.

'This is pretty normal of him. Mogami-chan don't forget to add the point.' She said, while the other 2nd years teased Tanaka-senpai for his lack of shirt.

I quickly uncovered my eyes and went to add Kageyama-Hinata team's latest point to the board.

Next up to serve was the Tsukishima-Yamaguchi team, and Tanaka-senpai went in to receive it cleanly. It went to Kageyama-kun and he set up a toss, so Hinata went to spike it.

Only for it to smack down, back on their own side of the court after being blocked by Tsukishima-san. Like I thought, his tall height was definitely handy for blocking…

Hinata looked up at him in surprise, and he smiled a bit, satisfied; 'You took me by surprise yesterday. You really can jump.' Tsukishima-san commented, and began moving back into position, 'Now if only you had another foot of height on you and you could've been a superstar!' he mocked, and Hinata growled under his breath.

I sighed out, as Shimizu-senpai put another point in for Tsukishima-san's team.

'G.. Give me one more!' Hinata said, and Kageyama-kun set the next ball to him, only for it to be blocked by Tsukishima-san again.

'Blocked again…!' Suga-senpai cried out softly. The point lead had turned tides and now…

'Tanaka's getting a lot of them through, though.' Kinoshita-senpai added. I bit my lip, watching Hinata as he trembled with frustration.

'Hey, snap out of it. You keep getting blocked. Just give him one of your 'King tosses'. You know, the one that leaves your opponents in the dust, along with your allies!' Tsukishima-san goaded Kageyama-kun.

Kageyama held his composure, and muttered an annoyed 'Shut your trap,' before walking away from the net.

Daichi-senpai clapped his hands together, moving the match along, and the next serve was made, by Yamaguchi-san, only for it to hit the net. Tsukishima-san clicked his tongue at his friend, who apologised, and I put the point in for Hinata's team.

Kageyama-kun went to pick up the ball, 'You don't need fast balls to win…I can win this.' He said and a frown instantly made its way to my face.

He said ' _I_ '… I hoped that didn't mean anything….

'All right, Nice Serve!' Hinata called as Kageyama-kun prepared to serve. He threw the ball up high, went into a running jump, and served the ball so hard it seemed like a spike.

But to mine and team Hinata-Kageyama's surprise, it was Daichi-senpai who received the ball cleanly, sending it back up into play. It was a really solid receive. I widened myself in wonder of my senpai's skills.

The ball went to Tsukishima-san, who set it to Yamaguchi-san for a spike, and the ball was sent flying to our side of the court again, and Hinata failed to receive it, gaining Tsukishima-san's team another point.

'Damn it!' Kageyama grunted out.

'Daichi-san's main weapon is his solid receive..' Tanaka-senpai said to Kageyama-kun.

Daichi-senpai turned to face Kageyama-kun, Hinata and Tanaka-senpai at that; 'Were you hoping to make some points? I can make do without any outstanding talents because I've practiced my receives for two years more than you guys have. You won't be breaking through that easily!' Daichi-senpai said with a confident smile.

'Hey, King! Don't you think you should start taking us a little more seriously…?' Tsukishima-san said, putting a hand on his hip.

'Hey, what's your deal?! What's with all these jabs!? What do you mean by 'King's Tosses' anyway?' Hinata jumped in, complaining, and Tsukishima-san looked at him.

He smirked, 'What, you mean you don't know why this guy's called 'The King of the Court'?' he asked Hinata.

Hinata blinked, 'You mean the other teams didn't give him that name because he's good at Volleyball and they're afraid of him?' he asked.

Tsukishima-san laughed, 'A lot of people seem to have that misconception. But according to rumour, the nickname 'King of the Court' was actually given to him by his own team. It means 'Self-Serving King'. 'Tyranical Dictator.'' Tsukishima-san revealed and I widened my eyes, my attention shifting to Kageyama-kun as the blond kept talking,

'I'd heard the rumour, but watching that game convinced me. He lorded over them so much that he was benched for the final match.' He said finally.

I continued to stare at Kageyama-kun, who had gone silent, his fists clenched and his head hung low. After a long moment of silence, Tsukishima-san spoke up again, the smirk gone from his face.

'Is that why you won't do any Quick's? Did that final match freak you out?' he asked Kageyama-kun, who said nothing.

Tanaka-senpai clicked his tongue, 'You're really starting to piss me off…!' he began, but Daichi-senpai stepped it.

'Tanaka.' He said, telling him to back off with a shake of his head. Tanaka-senpai pouted.

'Why bother tossing if nobody's going to be there to toss it—' Tsukishima-san began again and Tanaka-senpai was ready to bite back, when Kageyama-kun finally spoke up.

'Yeah, that's right…' he said, and everyone's eyes went to him, 'The thought of nobody being there to hit my toss is terrifying.' He admitted, clenching his fists tighter.

Hinata shook his head, 'But that was back in middle school.' He said and Kageyama-kun looked to him in surprise, 'Your tosses will reach me so there's no problem, right? The real problem is how to slam it past you!' Hinata announced, whirling round to point to Tsukishima-san, and it caused laughter to bubble up from inside Daichi-senpai and Tanaka-senpai. I smiled at that.

Hinata went to face Kageyama-kun, still pointing back at Tsukishima-san, 'You have to beat Tsukishima, join the club and become Setter fair and square! And then you'll toss to me! What else is there to it!?' he said, pointing to himself.

Tsukishima-san seemed to mumble something in response to that, to himself, but I couldn't quite make it out, and he turned away and went off to start his serve.

He continued speaking a little louder this time, 'If you believe that effort will make it all work out, you're mistaken.' He said, looking a little angry. I blinked at him, wondering what lit a fire beneath him all of a sudden.

* * *

 **onigiriri: Finished this hours ago but then I had to go and watch the newest Yuri on Ice episode (10) and I'm still reeling, OMG! It was fantastic! I'm still not completely done fan-girling about it, but I managed to get this out for you tonight. Enjoy~ A second chapter is coming before the week comes to an end! Because I feel fantastic this week!**


	15. 15 The Ultimate Combo

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 15 – The Ultimate Combo.**

Tsukishima-san, now with a motivation we hadn't seen in him so far, spoke up, 'If you believe that effort will make it all work out, you're mistaken.' He said, seeming a little bitter about something.

He raised the ball in his hands and threw it up, hitting his serve.

Tanaka-senpai immediately went in to receive it, yelling 'I've got it!' and bounced the ball up off his forearms. Both he and Hinata then began asking Kageyama-kun for a toss, as the setter got into position.

'Tanaka-sa—' Kageyama-kun began, deciding on senpai, when Hinata called out for a toss and he looked back over his shoulder. Hinata was already there, in the air and waiting for a toss to come his way. Kageyama-kun immediately changed plans and sent the ball over to him.

Hinata barely got it, but did manage to get it over the net. Unfortunately, it was out.

Kageyama-kun turned to him, 'What the hell were you-!?' he began.

'But the ball came my way!' Hinata said, cutting him off, and the black haired teen paused, 'I don't care about what happened in middle school! I'm grateful for any toss that comes my way. I'll jump wherever I need to jump! I'll hit any ball! Believe in me!' Hinata said, and grabbed at the shirt over his chest, 'So, send the tosses my way!' he declared to Kageyama-kun.

All through Hinata's words, I hadn't been able to get the grin off my face. It felt like something was starting to form. A bond. A bond between teammates…! If they kept it up, it felt like this was something that was really possible!

Tanaka-senpai approached the two, amazed, 'You guys know how to do Quick's?!' he asked them.

Hinata looked confused, 'A Quick?' he asked.

'A fast attack like what you did just now!' Tanaka-senpai clarified.

Hinata shook my head, 'I've always hit tosses that were sent way up high. It's just how Mogami-san and my friend used to toss to me back I n middle school.' He replied.

Tanaka-senpai glanced to me, and I sweat-dropped, 'Well I knew how Hinata-kun could jump pretty high, so I ended up throwing it up high for him by habit…' I said nervously, scratching my cheek.

Tanaka-senpai turned back to the boys on his team after listening and continued; 'But anyway, you just did it! Besides, in middle school, you hit that flubbed toss that your setter made! It's like that!' he explained.

Hinata blinked, 'Huh? But I don't remember how I did that. I'll hit any toss thrown at me! Just watch and see!' he finished with renewed vigor, turning pointedly to Kageyama-kun again, who flinched a little.

He turned his head away, 'You've never done tandem plays, so fast attacks are impossible.' He said a little shakily.

Hinata gaped at him, and then pointed at him 'You're acting weird! Chickening out like that, it's totally weird!' he said.

'Shut up…!' Kageyama-kun bit out, turning and walking away.

Tsukishima-san smirked, and called out to him 'That's not very kingly of you.' He commented and Hinata glared at him.

'I'm gonna shoot past you, just you wait!' he said.

Tsukishima-san propped his hand on his hip, 'Look at you, getting all worked up again... Getting all hot under the collar isn't the solution to everything you know.' he sighed out, 'Not everyone is suited for every job. You're obviously not cut out to be a spiker.' He said and I felt anger building up in my again.

Tanaka-senpai also seemed to be getting angry, but Daichi-senpai stopped him. I really wanted to say something, but as soon as I saw the fire in Hinata's eyes, I held my tongue.

'You're right. In middle school and even now, I jump and jump but I keep getting blocked. You need height to play volleyball… No matter how much Mogami-san and I tried together when it came to my first real match I was totally outclassed both in height in skill. Jumping can't compensate for overwhelming height…' Hinata said, and swallowed, 'But for all that… I still wanted to be like _that_! Disadvantages and unsuitability have nothing to do with it. I'll keep fighting just the way I am and keep on winning because I want to stay on the court for the longest!' Hinata said and Tsukishima-san listened.

Then, the blond sighed out; 'I'm saying there's no way. This isn't mind over matter. You can't compensate for height with mentality. Unless you're planning to be a Libero.' He said to Hinata.

Kageyama-kun then spoke up, 'I open up the wall that blocks the spiker. That's my job as the Setter!' he said, going over and standing by Hinata's side. I felt much of the weight of my anger escape me, and lowered my shoulders with a happy sigh.

It was so relieving to hear Kageyama-kun say that out loud, even if he did immediately grab Hinata by the shirt and drag him off to talk right after.

I continued watching with a small smile, as Tanaka-senpai went over to join them thinking they were fighting again. But I had a feeling that Kageyama-kun had some sort of plan.

Kageyama-kun was saying something quietly with Hinata, while Tanaka-senpai spoke loud enough for the rest of us to hear, and we could guess that they were definitely coming up with some sort of plan.

'Huh? And that's your explanation of a Quick ball?!' Tanaka-senpai said incredulously, but Hinata nodded to Kageyama-kun understanding his explanation, to which Tanaka responded, 'Liar! You couldn't possibly get that!' rather loudly.

Hinata and Kageyama-kun both turned to him at that, and at the same time replied 'We'll give it a try!" together.

'Anyway, what's up with you? You were totally dejected just a moment ago!' Tanaka-senpai said to Kageyama-kun.

'I wasn't.' Kageyama-kun denied.

'Liar!' Tanaka-senpai snapped.

Nevertheless, the game started up again and the Hinata-Kageyama team had renewed their determination, and they were raring to go.

It was Tsukishima-san's serve again. He served the ball and Hinata received it cleanly, so the ball went to Kageyama-kun for the toss. He attempted a quick with Hinata, but it was way too fast and whizzed past Hinata before he could reached it. He looked at the ball that bounced away, stunned at the speed.

Kageyama-kun came to Hinata, snapping, 'Hey! What the hell!? You have to be fa—' he cut himself off, realizing that he was reacting the way he had in middle school, likely, and biting his lip.

'There it is, the King's toss!' Tsukishima-san said with a big smirk, and Kageyama-kun glared at him. I sighed out, and out of the corner of my eye, Suga-senpai caught my attention. His gaze looked very serious.

'N-Nothing works the first time!' Kageyama-kun said defensively.

And so they tried to do a Quick again, but again, it was too fast for Hinata to reach in time. They kept trying again and again, but each attempt was a resounding failure.

Hinata slumped over, feeling a bit down, 'I can't figure out the timing at all…!' he whined.

'You have fast reflexes! Use more 'Buwah!' and some more 'Guwah!'' Kageyama-kun said and Hinata responded with;

'Is it 'Buwah' or 'Guwah'!? Make up your mind!' while Tanaka-senpai looked at them like they were speaking another language, which technically they kinda were. As he scolded them saying this wasn't the time for that, I muffled a laugh behind my hand.

A flash of silver caught my eye and I turned to see Suga-senpai approaching the court, grabbing the ball, 'Kageyama. At this rate it'll turn out just like middle school.' He said and Kageyama-kun and Hinata turned to listen to him, 'Uh… you see…' he trailed off.

Kageyama-kun pointed to Hinata, 'Hinata has the reflexes, speed and jumping power. He can learn Quick attacks.' He said.

'I think that Hinata's agility might be smothering your tosses. Hinata doesn't have as much technique or experience as you do. He's not one of the skilled players that barely kept up with you in middle school.' Suga-senpai said and Hinata hung his head, 'But he's a diamond in the rough. He's got that potential.' He added and Hinata perked right up, blushing at the praise.

'If I had your skill…' Suga-senpai directed his words to Kageyama-kun, 'W-What I'm trying to say is…can't you use Hinata's skills? L-Like his talents…?' Suga-senpai seemed to be having trouble phrasing it. I smiled and went over to join him.

'What Suga-senpai is saying is that Kageyama-kun can take into account how high Hinata-kun can jump and how fast he can move. Right, senpai?' I asked him, looking up to him.

Suga-senpai nodded enthusiastically, 'That's right! You could use Hinata's abilities more effectively! I'm a setter just like you. So it freaked me out to see you playing last year. I saw your extraordinary talent and ball control. But most of all, you have the ability to analyse the opponent's blocking moves and be decisive. All the things that as a Setter, I don't have.' Suga-senpai explained, looking a little down. I looked at him concernedly, as Tanaka-senpai tried to stick up for him.

'You have the technique and almost too much determination, but above all you have the ability to analyse your surroundings. So you should be able to see your allies!' Suga-senpai finished, and threw the ball to Kageyama-kun to catch.

I smiled and nodded in agreement, 'I totally agree with everything Suga-senpai said, Kageyama-kun. You have such a special talent and I know you'll be able to put it to good use with Hinata-kun as your Wing Spiker! All that's left is to put your talents together to create something incredible!' I said, and both of the boys' cheeks turned pink.

Suga-senpai smiled and patted my shoulder from behind, nodding.

Kageyama-kun stayed quiet, looking to the volleyball in his hands with rosy cheeks for a little while, before abruptly turning to stare at Hinata.

'I am...! I am jealous of your athletic reflexes! That's why you make me so angry. It's all wasted on you! That's why, I have no choice but to utilize all of your ability!' Kageyama-kun announced, pointing at Hinata who looked a bit taken aback, and a little insulted at the same time.

Tanaka-senpai blinked at the setter, 'What the…?' he muttered.

'I want you to use your best speed, and your highest jump! I'll deliver the ball to you!' he said to Hinata determinedly.

'What do you mean by deliver?' Hinata asked, surprised but not against the idea.

'All you have to do is jump as fast and as high as you can where there are no blockers. Don't think about anything else and just swing at full power! You don't have to see me toss it.' Kageyama-kun explained.

'Huh!? But I'll just swing at the air if I don't look at the ball!' Hinata replied.

'Maybe, but I want to try!' Kageyama-kun said.

'…Got it.' Hinata agreed after a moment. And so the game continued again. Kageyama-kun looked even more focused than I'd ever seen of him so far, and he was ready when Daichi made his serve.

The ball came to Kageyama-kun, and Hinata went to jump and spike the ball just as Kageyama-kun had instructed…but there was something surprising. This time…Hinata had his eyes closed!?

And he hit it. The ball came right to his hand like it was a homing beacon, and Hinata hit it dead on! It hit inside the court on the other side of the court in what seemed like a split-second. Nobody on the other side of the court could react.

I know what a Quick is. I've done one before with Rei, our speediest spiker back in middle school… But I've never seen a Quick like this before…!?

Hinata looked at his trembling hand, 'I… I really touched it…!' he said and I took a few steps closer to the court, still shocked.

'H….Hinata-kun…!' I stuttered shakily and he glanced at me curiously.

'Mogami-san?' he asked, confused at my expression. Did he even know what he had just done…?! Hinata-kun just keeps amazing me.

'Hinata-kun… you did that with your eyes closed…!' I told him, and he blinked, as the guys freaked out behind him.

'YOU WHAT!?' Tanaka-senpai shouted.

'W-Wait, what do you mean…?' Tsukishima-san stammered, considerably taken aback by this. Daichi-senpai shakily stepped forward, agreeing with me.

'I saw it too. From the moment he took off until the moment he hit the ball, Hinata had his eyes closed! In order words, Kageyama made a pinpoint toss directly into Hinata's hand with flawless precision!' he said.

I nodded, gushing a little, 'Yeah, it's incredible!' I agreed with Daichi-senpai.

Tsukishima-san's eyes were wide, and his jaw hung open in disbelief.

Hinata turned to Kageyama-kun, holding out his red hand, 'I-I don't get it, but I hit something! I hit something with my hand, right!?' he cried and Kageyama-kun turned to him, incredulous

'Hey! You! What do you mean you had your eyes closed!?' Kageyama-kun yelled at him.

'W-Well you told me not to look at the ball! If I had them open I wouldn't have been able to help myself!' Hinata replied, defensive.

'I know I said that, but who trusts someone 100%!?' Kageyama-kun said.

'I can't help it! Trusting someone is the only way I know how to do it! It's how I've always done it!' Hinata told him.

Tanaka-senpai went to ruffle his hair, 'That's incredible! What on earth was that?' he said happily, messing Hinata's hair up.

'Right.. If Hinata can get his Quick's right, the marks will scatter and it'll be easier for you to score Tanaka-san!' Kageyama-kun said to his teammates and they nodded, 'We don't have any kind of relationship of trust yet, but… I'll deliver the next ball to you too. Believe and jump!' He said, then looking to Hinata.

Hinata grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

From there, they kept trying the Quick, but in reality, it didn't work out perfectly at first, as if the previous one had just been a fluke. The match continued on with the Tsukishima-Yamaguchi team in the lead with points, for a while.

Hinata rubbed his cheek that was in pain from a ball to the face just a moment ago, 'Damn, it's just not working…!' he said, and then went to look at his hand, 'But I felt it that last time.' He said, smiling to himself, and then he glanced to me, startling me. He only smiled at me, like his eyes were saying _Watch Me!_

The ball came into play again for Hinata's team and he began running towards the net, calling out for a toss.

Tsukishima-san, seeming startled, called out 'You, go over there!' to Yamaguchi-san, who went to block with him in front of Hinata's destination. But at the last second, Hinata changed his destination and dashed over to the other side of the court, surprising everyone else on it but Kageyama-kun, who seemed to have predicted it.

Tsukishima-san rushed to go and block in that space too, but Hinata was higher up and further away from him despite his efforts. Daichi-senpai went to dive and receive it, but it hit the ground before he could.

A point was scored…! But more than that, another successful Quick between Hinata and Kageyama-kun!

'Yes…!' they both cheered, pumping a fist.

I threw my hands up into the air, cheering a little, then quickly turned to add the point to the board, my cheeks pink, and a big grin on my face. So what if they were still behind. Not for long, I'll bet…!

Beside me, Shimizu-senpai turned away from the match, still a little surprised by Hinata's speed, and smiled at me. My smile didn't leave for a while after that. From there, Hinata and Kageyama-kun's Quick's were getting more and more reliable, and I had to add a point to their score more frequently. They were quickly catching up to the other team's point lead until they finally broke through, coming to one point ahead with 24-23 as their current score.

The match was coming to an end. But it was Tsukishima-san that was surprising me now. The guy who was saying the other day that Volleyball was 'just a club' and that 'they would throw the game if we wanted' was actually getting into it…!

'You're not gonna keep getting past me…!' he bit out, jumping to block Hinata again. But Kageyama-kun had planned for that and sent the ball to Tanaka-senpai instead.

After Tanaka-senpai got another point for the team and Tsukishima-san landed, tsking, I added the point in, still looking at the blond.

It seemed despite his talk, Tsukishima-san actually didn't like losing…I grinned at that. He had something in common with Kageyama-kun and Hinata then.

But this first set was Hinata, Tanaka-senpai and Kageyama-kun's. And Tanaka-senpai expressed his adrenaline by removing his shirt and swinging it around again, and again, I covered my eyes.

'How's that!? Hey, Tsukishima! I thought you were gonna crush me and Hinata!?' Tanaka-senpai yelled, and Hinata enthusiastically called out a 'here, here' to that. 'Why don't ya just try it!?' he added, and Hinata came in again.

'Who gave you bragging rights, Tanaka?' I heard Suga-senpai call, and the shaved-head senpai got quiet at that.

Ennoshita-senpai continued, 'Yeah! You only made that hit thanks to a first year, you know?' he said.

'Yeah that's right, you perv! So put your shirt back on already!' Kinoshita-senpai agreed.

'Why are you roasting _me_!?' Tanaka-senpai yelled back.

'D-Does he have his shirt back on yet…?' I nervously whispered to Shimizu-senpai, who chuckled at me.

She turned to call to Tanaka-senpai, 'Please, put your shirt back on! You're making Mogami-chan uncomfortable.' She told him and I jumped.

'I-It's not that…!" I tried to deny, peeking out from behind my fingers with a blush. Tanaka-senpai quickly pulled his shirt back on, apologizing to me; 'N-No that's not—Uhm..!' I stammered, while my senpai laughed at my embarrassed state.

'I-It's fine, it's fine! I have a habit of getting too fired up.' Tanaka-senpai said with a wave.

'Now that's an understatement if I ever heard one…' drawled Kinoshita-senpai, while Narita-senpai smirked and nodded to him.

Pushing aside that embarrassing moment, the second set began, and a few points in, Hinata and Kageyama-kun's team were still going strong, in the lead. But it was clear that Tsukishima-san was slowly but surely getting more invested in the match.

They were matching each other point for point as it got into the teens, and Tsukishima removed his school sweater, having worked up a sweat. He looked pretty determined.

And with that newfound determination, this set went a lot quicker than the last one as everyone had found their groove so to speak. It was tight, but as Shimizu-senpai blew the final whistle signifying the end of the 2nd set the ones victorious were actually Tsukishima-san's team, meaning the third set was the deciding one.

…Well, it would have been, if this had been an official match. Today, there was to be only two sets. And each team won one set each. Nevertheless, today was a success and Daichi-senpai had announced to the exhausted Hinata and Kageyama that they could take part in official practices from now on.

Happy, I went over to congratulate the two of them, armed with towels and their water bottles.

'Congrats, you two! You guys did great today – I was—we _all_ were very impressed!' I said to them, and they nodded in thanks, taking the towels and water bottles I offered them. We then moved to the side of the gym for their to cool off and refresh themselves.

After watching them with a happy smile for a while, I glanced over to the corner of the gym, where Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san were standing together, apart from us.

I patted Hinata's shoulder, 'I'm going to go see if Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san want me to refresh their water bottles.' I told him.

Hinata blinked, 'Oh! I'm going with you! Kageyama, you too!' he said, tugging on Kageyama-kun's sleeve.

'Why? Let it go.' He said and I looked at him curiously.

Hinata shook his head insistently, 'This is important! C'mon, let's go!' he said, and he headed off ahead of me. I shrugged a little, and went after him as he called out to Tsukishima-san.

The blond turned to look at him over his shoulder, 'What?' he asked flatly as we approached him. Hinata held out his hand in offering, and Tsukishima-san just stared at it as if it was dirty.

'We're supposed to shake hands before and after a game. We didn't before, but we can do it now! After all, we're gonna be teammates from now on.' Hinata said, frowning at Tsukishima-san, who caught on to Hinata's frown and frowned deeper in response, not moving.

Hinata whispered, looking worried, 'Hurry up! Don't you know that if you don't learn to act like team players, they'll throw you out?!' he asked and I blinked at him, and sighed out.

'You two were banned from the gym because you ignored the captain's orders, challenged each other to a fight and sent the vice-principal's toupee flying.' Tsukishima-san said matter-of-factly, still not moving to reciprocate the handshake.

I laughed a little to myself, and laughed again where Hinata ignored the truth and went in to try and force a handshake from Tsukishima-san, jumping to try and get his hand as the tall teen did his best to avoid it.

I moved over to Yamaguchi-san with a smile and he glanced at me surprised; I held out a hand to him, 'Let's get along from now on, okay, Yamaguchi-san?' I asked him, and his cheeks turned slightly pink.

Shyly rubbing the back of his head, he hesitantly put his hand in mine and we shook hands, 'R-Right, we'll be in your care…' he said and I nodded in agreement as Hinata continued to try to shake Tsukishima-san's hand beside us.

He eventually got ahold of his hand and got his handshake and now Tsukishima-san was trembling, looking at his hand. I smiled, that's kind of melodramatic for a guy like him. And Yamaguchi-san was even fussing over him, like he'd been injured or something.

 _It's just a handshake, haha!_ I laughed, and turned to Kageyama-kun, feeling a little mischievous; 'Aren't you going to shake hands with them too?' I asked him and three-out-of-four boys jumped in surprise.

Hinata however, agreed with me, 'Yeah, yeah! You have to do it too, Kageyama!' he nodded.

'W-We know we're teammates so that's enough!' Kageyama-kun almost yelped out, and Tsukishima-san even nodded.

'Eeehh? Oh come on!' Hinata whined, and I giggled at them.

'Alright, that's enough fooling around,' Daichi-senpai called out, coming over to us and we turned to him; he addressed Tsukishima-san, 'Tsukishima. How did you like the 3-on-3 match?' he asked him.

'It wasn't anything special. We played against a king from elite school so of course commoners like us would lose.' Tsukishima-san said, looking away.

Daichi-senpai hummed, 'Even saying all that, I noticed that you playing all-out.' He said with a laugh in his voice, and handed Tsukishima-san back his sweater with a grin.

Tsukishima-san looked like he was pouting, but accepted the sweater back.

'Captain!" Hinata suddenly yelled out, surprising us; Daichi-senpai turned to Hinata and Kageyama-kun who held out their application forms for the club to him.

Daichi-senpai accepted them without a word, and looked over to Shimizu-senpai, 'Shimizu! They've arrived by now, haven't they?' he asked her.

She nodded, and caught my eyes, waving me over. I blinked, and went over to join her, and she said, 'Help me carry the boxes in.' she told me.

'What kind of boxes?' I asked her and she only smiled. I had no choice to but to follow her to the store room, and by the time we got back into the gym I knew what was going on, so I had a big grin on my face as I approached where the boys were waiting.

Hinata came over to us, curious; 'What's inside? What is it?' he asked me eagerly. I didn't say a word and just opened the box up for them, letting his and Kageyama-kun's eyes do the talking. They gasped out in surprise, and Hinata pulled out his very own Karasuno Boys' Volleyball team jacket, practically squealing in excitement.

I didn't bother hiding my own grin; Hinata's happiness was very contagious.

Shimizu-senpai leaned over, tapping my shoulder, 'There's enough in here for the boys, and there's also one for you too.' She told me, and I nodded, pulling out the larger ones for Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san to take first, and after they did, I pulled out my own jacket and unfolded it.

Getting up to stand, I quickly pulled mine on, looking over to see the other boys had as well.

Our senpai grabbed our attention, all of them coming to stand around us.

'Hey, you guys are looking good!' Tanaka-senpai praised as Hinata excitedly showed his off, front and back.

'From the volleyball club of Karasuno… one, two…' he began, pulling his jersey on, and as he continued, the rest of our senpai joined in, 'Welcome to the club!'

I teared up a little at that, and ended up rubbing at the corner of my eyes. Shimizu-senpai joined me and quietly patted my shoulder, smiling silently, and I flushed.

'U-Um… thank you! I'm happy to be here…!' I said to my senpai, and the ones still there all grinned and nodded. Tanaka-senpai had gone with the boys and was teaching some kind of support.

'Of course.' Daichi-senpai nodded.

'We'll be counting on yours and Shimizu's support from now on, so work hard!' Suga-senpai grinned.

I nodded, 'I will. You guys do your best as well! I'll do what I can to help you guys this year. Let's go to Nationals!' I said.

'That goes without saying!' Tanaka-senpai called back over, having heard that, and everyone agreed, cheerful.

'Anyway, Suga, you, Mogami-san and Tanaka had a lot to do with this, didn't you?' Daichi-senpai then said, catching mine and Suga-senpai's attention. We flinched.

Did he figure it out…?

'What? No, not really…' Suga-senpai denied.

'Yeah, it was all Kageyama-kun and Hinata-kun. An amazing turnaround, really, when you think about it…!' I agreed, nervously.

'Hey you're being to obvious…!' Suga-senpai leaned in and whispered to me and I covered my mouth. We glanced to Daichi-senpai to see his deadpan expression. He sighed out, and smiled.

'Well, anyway, I'm glad it all worked out for the better. Thanks for your hard work!' he said to us, and we relaxed, glad that he wasn't mad, whether he'd figured us out or not.

It was then that the gym door suddenly crashed open, and somebody stumbled in quite literally, yelling out 'We've got a game! Hey, we've got a game…!' as he did.

We all turned to him, curious to the new arrival. I blinked in surprise, recognizing him as one of my teachers. I knew that curly dark brown hair, young-looking features and glasses anywhere…! It was Takeda-sensei, my modern Japanese literature teacher! But what was he doing here…?

After having yelled out about having a game, he hunched over, holding onto his knees and gasped for air, before getting up after he somewhat collecting himself.

He had a big smile on his face and said, 'You have a practice game! Your opponent is one of the top four in the prefecture! Aoba Johsai!' he cried and we widened our eyes in surprise.

Aoba Johsai…!?

* * *

 **onigiriri: So here's the 2** **nd** **chapter of the week and it's a LONG one because I wanted to finish the 3-on-3 match no matter what! I hope you like it, tell me what you thought~**

 **Next time, it will be Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai: A Practice Match! Stay tuned~**


	16. 16 Practice Match with Aoba Johsai

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 16 – Practice Match With Aoba Johsai.**

After catching his breath, Takeda-sensei stood up straight, a big grin on his face, and his glasses slightly askew; 'You have a practice game! Your opponent is one of the top four in the prefecture! Aoba Johsai!' he cried and we widened our eyes in surprise.

Aoba Johsai…!?

The team just got together with its newest members and all of a sudden there's already a match with one of the best teams in Miyagi? It seems a little unbelievable, given what Daichi-senpai had told me about our school's standing, competitively, that such a strong team that would agree to a practice match with us…!

Suga-senpai couldn't believe it either, as he gasped out the name again incredulously.

Takeda-sensei made his way into the gym, while everyone kind of just stared in wonder. Hinata however, was pumped.

'A practice match with the fourth in the prefecture!' he cried out, cheeks flushing happily.

Meanwhile, a deeper frown made it to Kageyama-kun's face, and he muttered something to himself. Takeda-sensei turned to the two of them.

'Oh, you two must be the problem newbies, Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun! Oh, and Mogami-kun, you're here too.' He added, noticing me.

I smiled and bowed my head, 'Hello, Takeda-sensei. What're you doing all the way over at the gym? I thought you were just in the modern literature department.' I said conversationally.

Takeda-sensei rubbed the back of his head, 'Well, actually, this year I'll be taking on the role of this club's advisor, you see.' He explained to me, and I nodded, understanding; he laughed nervously, 'Though, I'm a total beginner when it comes to volleyball, so I wonder if I'll do well.' He said modestly.

'Sensei…' Daichi-senpai began, as he and Suga-senpai came over to join the three of us. Sensei turned to them.

'I called all over to try and get you a practice game, but nobody would give me the time of day.' He told them.

'Sensei, how did you get a game with a major team like Aoba Johsai?' Suga-senpai asked.

'Don't tell me you did a dogeza again…' Daichi-senpai added.

'Not at all, not at all! I'm good at begging when I have to, but this time I didn't need to. But there is just one condition: They want Kageyama-kun to play as Setter for the full match.' Takeda-sensei explained and we all widened our eyes.

I glanced to Kageyama-kun, and he seemed just as surprised as the rest of us.

'What's that supposed to mean? They aren't interested in Karasuno, but they're on high alert for Kageyama? Are they messing with us?! Do they think we're a joke or something?' Tanaka-senpai asked, sounding angry, as he approached sensei in a slightly threatening way.

'N-No, I don't think that's the case…!' Sensei stuttered.

'It's all good. We don't get a chance like this every day.' Suga-senpai added his input and I immediately looked at him. Ah, I could see what the problem here. Suga-senpai did say he was this team's official Setter the other day after all. To play this match, he'd have to step down for Kageyama-kun…!

'The thing is, I want to see how Hinata and Kageyama's attack will work against a strong school like Aoba Johsai.' Suga-senpai added, looking serious. And with that, Tanaka-senpai backed down and Daichi-senpai nodded.

'Sensei, please give us the details.' He said and the teacher nodded.

'Well, it's a little short notice, but it's set for next Tuesday. It'll be just one game because there isn't much time after school. We'll borrow the bus. We'll be heading straight there so get prepared early. And don't be late. Inform your parents in advance of what's going on, too.' Takeda-sensei said and we all nodded in response.

After a few more moments of going over details, Takeda-sensei excused himself with a nod, and Daichi-senpai ordered for everyone to continue practicing for the rest of practice.

I was assisting with spiking practice, setting the ball for Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san, while Suga-senpai and Tanaka-senpai worked with Hinata and Kageyama-kun.

As the ball came down above me, I got into position, and set the ball for Tsukishima-san. He came in, and jumped, catching the ball and spiking it down, then he landed and let out a breath.

I took a few steps towards him, 'How was my toss, Tsukishima-san? Is there anything I need to tweak, or…?' I asked him.

'You're fine.' He murmured and went to collect the ball. I watched him go, then glanced at Yamaguchi-san who was getting his own ball out.

I smiled to him, 'I've been meaning to ask, Yamaguchi-san…' I began and he jumped.

'Oh, um, what is it?' he asked me.

'It's about Tsukishima-san,' I started, and he seemed to… droop a bit? 'I'd heard you calling him something like Tsukki a couple of times, and I was wondering about it. Is it a nickname of sorts?' I asked him.

'O-Oh, um, yes. We've been friends since elementary school, so, yeah, it's kind of a nickname.' He clarified, nodding his head.

'Ah, I see. You guys seem to get along, I think.' I said and Yamaguchi blinked at me, 'Do you think if I called him Tsukki too, then we'd become friends…?' I asked him.

He sweat-dropped, 'Um, maybe it'd be better if you didn't. He'd probably get annoyed…' he said nervously, laughing a little awkwardly, and scratching his cheek.

I blinked up at him, thinking to myself; _Isn't Tsukishima-san always annoyed about something anyway?_

Oh well…

* * *

With my question answered, practice continued until the sky was turning red, and Daichi-senpai announced the end of practice to us all. Suga-senpai had gone ahead of the most of us today, and Kageyama-kun sprinted off somewhere too. Daichi-senpai and Tanaka-senpai invited Hinata and I to walk with them today, and after walking for a while, we eventually caught sight of Suga-senpai and Kageyama-kun talking outside of a store at the bottom of the hill.

Hinata and Tanaka-senpai both called out to them, and ran ahead of us to join them. Daichi-senpai and I followed at a more sedate pace, and as we came down to the Sakanoshita Store, which Daichi-senpai entered, I overheard the tail end of Suga-senpai and Kageyama-kun's conversation.

'By the way,' Suga-senpai said, 'Aoba Johsai is the high school that most players from Kitagawa Daiichi go to, isn't it?' he asked Kageyama-kun, and I blinked, going to join their side.

'Ah, is it? So the people you were playing with last year are going there?' I asked, nodding to Suga-senpai and Kageyama-kun in greeting.

'Ah, yeah I think so.' Kageyama-kun nodded, 'I think Kunimi and Kindaichi went there. My senpai too.' He added as Hinata and Tanaka-senpai joined us. Hinata looked up at Kageyama at hearing that.

I guess those where the names of some of his team-mates from that match…

'So, doesn't that mean you'll be playing against them in this practice match?' I asked Kageyama-kun.

'…Probably.' He nodded after a little thought.

'I was wondering if that would make it hard for you, since they were your team-mates.' Suga-senpai said. Kageyama-kun blinked.

'Huh? Maybe if we were on the same team it would… but if they're my opponents I'll fight them with everything I've got.' He said.

'I see. You're right.' Suga-senpai nodded, smiling.

'But are you sure you're alright with this, Suga-san? As for myself, I kind of have trouble accepting it!' Tanaka-senpai told Suga-senpai.

'Well of course I don't like it, but…' he paused, and grinned, going over to pat Kageyama-kun roughly on the shoulder, 'We've got to show those guys that Kageyama has changed a lot since middle school!' he said happily, as Daichi-senpai came out from the shop with a brown paper bag.

'That's right. We also have to show them that they're up against more than just Kageyama.' Daichi-senpai said, handing a bag to Hinata before going towards Suga-senpai and Kageyama-kun. I went over to Hinata as he began getting buns out of the bag.

'Hinata-kun, wait, you can only take one…!' I whispered to him loudly, snatching the bag from him and taking back two of the three buns he'd removed, to which he pouted. I sighed at him and smiled, 'Don't be greedy. Senpai got these for the whole team.' I scolded him softly.

'Okay…' he sighed out, munching on his own bun.

Daichi-senpai took back the bag from me, and patted my head, 'Ah, thank you for that, Mogami-san,' he said gratefully, and took one of the buns out of the bag, handing it to me, 'Here, this one's yours,' he said, placing it in my hands.

I smiled, my cheeks pink with gratitude, 'Thank you, senpai!' I said, nodding to him happily, and he nodded back.

'Think nothing of it. This is just another way of us welcoming you first years to the volleyball team. Hey, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, there's some for you!' Daichi-senpai turned to call over the slowly approaching stragglers.

Munching on my bun, I turned to look at Hinata, who was close to finishing his own. He'd paused in eating, and was looking around at everyone, with a huge smile on his face. Ah, maybe it was sinking in…?

Moving back over to his side, I nudged him lightly with my elbow, 'Hey, so this is it, huh, Hinata-kun? You're finally part of a real team, now. And Karasuno at that.' I said to him.

He nodded happily, 'It really is…! It's everything I could've wanted! …Although, I wasn't sure about Kageyama at first… but now we've got a match against Aoba Johsai! I'm super pumped up right now…!' he said, giving me a huge, toothy grin.

I nodded, 'I'm excited too! I heard their official setter is the same one who won the best Setter award in middle school a few years back.' I said.

'Ehh, seriously? That's kinda cool!' Hinata said.

'You know about Oikawa-san?' Kageyama-kun jumped into the conversation, and I nodded.

'I've heard about him. There were a few girls at my middle school talking about it.' I replied, 'I heard that he's popular with girls, and really good at Setting, but that's all I know. Do you know more about him, Kageyama-kun?' I asked him.

He nodded, 'He was my senpai, and yeah, he's a really talented Setter. I looked up to him in middle school. If he's playing, this'll be a tough match.' He told us.

'But…?' I prodded.

He gave me a determined look, 'We're still going to win.' He said and I smiled. I knew he'd say that.

'Of course we will!' Hinata greed, nodding. After that, Kageyama-kun was pulled aside by Daichi-senpai and Suga-senpai for a talk, and we were left to continue home. Hinata looked back over his shoulder at the store where Kageyama-kun stayed, feeling left out, as he walked me to my bus-stop. When we arrived at my bus-stop I waved him off as he continued.

'See you tomorrow, Hinata-kun!' I called to him, waving.

'Yeah!' he replied, waving back at me as he got on his bike and started peddling away. I let my hand drop, and with a sigh, began my wait for the bus.

A match with Aoba Johsai would surely be an interesting one.

* * *

The days between then and the Tuesday of the Practice Match with Aoba Johsai went over quickly, our practices making the time slip by without us realizing. We were productive with our time, though.

Our senpai and Kageyama-kun had worked out a formation for the rotations in the match; Hinata and Kageyama-kun were going to be used as a 'Set' and Tsukishima-san, as he was our tallest player, was also going to be playing. Yamaguchi-san was the only first year not on the starting line up… and Hinata was assigned the 'Middle Blocker' position, a position that required height.

Kageyama-kun also declared him to be the team's Decoy, a title that Hinata wasn't too pleased with at first. But when Kageyama-kun explained that Hinata would be able to fool a lot of tall players like Tsukishima-san, Hinata was suddenly all on board.

But then, Kageyama-kun had this to say that changed Hinata's disposition; 'On the other hand, you need to function properly or all of our other attacks will fall apart.' – to which Hinata suddenly paled in realisation.

As our senpai scolded Kageyama-kun about putting pressure on Hinata, then continued to talk about Hinata's position, I kept a steady eye on my friend. His nervous disposition didn't seem to be dwindling any. If anything it seemed to be getting worse.

Everyone was a little worried about him, including myself. I even heard from Tanaka-senpai that he'd been so out of it he tried to put his jacket on as trousers, and then accidentally took senpai's trousers instead of his own…! Apparently, senpai got called a pervert for rushing out after Hinata in his boxers…

If Hinata didn't calm down any on the day, I resolved to approach him about it and see if I could do anything to help him about it.

* * *

The day of the practice match finally arrived, and we all lined up outside of the school and then boarded the rented bus that would take us there. The ride over to Aoba Johsai was a tense one. Everyone kept to their own thoughts, warding off their own jitters in their own ways. Some listened to music on their earbuds, and others made quiet small talk, or looked out the window.

I glanced over the back of my seat towards the back of the bus, where Hinata, and Tanaka-senpai were seated. Senpai was trying to cheer him up with snacks, but it was clear that Hinata hadn't slept a wink, and he didn't really look too well.

As I turned back around, Shimizu-senpai looked over to me, 'How is Hinata doing back there?' she asked, knowing the source of my concerns.

'Not too good,' I murmured, and was about to continue when I heard a commotion in the back, before Tanaka-senpai started yelling out in disgust. My head whipped back round to look and I gasped. Hinata had actually thrown up…!

'S-Stop the bus, please…!' Daichi-senpai hurriedly shouted, and Takeda-sensei pulled over, as the bus descended into panic over Hinata's predicament. Tanaka-senpai mourned the loss of his soiled jersey trousers, as I quickly went over to help Hinata off the bus, rubbing his back.

Thankfully, we'd already made it to Aoba Johsai High School, and also, that Tanaka-senpai had his volleyball shorts to change into. He wrapped his soiled trousers in a plastic bag as Hinata profusely apologised. I stood behind him, lightly rubbing his back a little, still.

He was still feeling a bit ill, but considerably less so, now that he had most of it out of his system, it seemed.

'Tanaka-senpai, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!' Hinata cried.

'I said it was okay already…! What about you? Are you okay now?' Senpai asked him and Hinata agreed; Tanaka-senpai lightened up at that, 'Great! Good to hear. The outcome of today's match depends on how well your doing, after all!' Tanaka-senpai said and I jumped in shock.

'Tanaka-senpai, please stop mentioning stuff like that!' I hissed at him, as Hinata locked up next to me again. Tanaka-senpai flinched.

'Ahh, whoops…!' he gasped.

I turned to Hinata and gently put my hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently, 'Hey, Hinata-kun… it's gonna be okay. Remember what I said at the match against Kitagawa Daiichi last year?' I asked him and he glanced at me slowly.

I could feel the others' eyes on me, but I didn't look away from Hinata, and smiled, 'It's okay if you feel nervous. Everyone feels nervous when they want to do their very best, right? You need to use your nerves to make sure you're 100% on you're A-Game. Okay? Deep breaths, now…! Er, Hinata-kun, can you h-hear me?' I asked him, worried that he wasn't being totally responsive.

He was just staring at me, wide-eyed. Suddenly, he jerked out of my light hold and dashed backwards, his face red, and I blinked in confusion.

'Hinata-kun…?' I asked him again.

'I-I-I…! I need to go to the bathroom…!' he cried out, bolting away from us into the school.

I watched after him concerned, 'Do you even know where the bathroom is...!? This isn't our school..,!' I called after him.

'Mogami-san, it's okay. I'll go after him, okay?' Suga-senpai patted my shoulder reassuringly with a smile, and after excusing himself, he went after Hinata. I let out a sigh, before giving a pointed look to Tanaka-senpai.

Hinata had finally calmed down, if only just a little, and then Tanaka-senpai had to say that…

He flinched, 'A-Ah, I get it! My bad, sorry…!' he said.

'We should head towards the gym. Our practice match should be soon so we need to meet them first. You guys go ahead first, I'll catch up.' Daichi-senpai said to us, and we nodded. I ended up following Tanaka-senpai, Kageyama-kun, Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san.

Tanaka-senpai seemed to have approached two guys in white and turquoise jerseys after they were chatting about our team; senpai had his usual threatening posture put on, and the two guys looked a little unsettled.

I picked up my pace to catch up with senpai.

'I wouldn't mock my team too much,' senpai said to them, as everyone else came up behind him. 'We'll chew you apart!' he added, putting on a face.

The two boys paled, before noticing me amongst the tall Karasuno boys and perked up.

'Oh, is that the pretty manager you were talking about, Yahaba-senpai?' the really tall one with spiked black hair asked the shorter one with curly light-brown hair.

'Eh, no, but she's pretty cute too…!' the curly light-brown haired one said with pink cheeks, and cleared his throat, 'Hi, my name is Yahaba Shigeru—' he tried to approach me.

But Tanaka-senpai quickly put most of his body in front of me, blocking me from view, 'Hey, there… what do you think you're doing, approaching _our_ cutie manager?!' he said threateningly, and I sweat-dropped.

The two boys jumped, afraid of senpai. Tsukishima-san, surprisingly, decided to join Tanaka-senpai in the threatening…!

'Come on, Tanaka-san, don't intimidate them like that~' he drawled, smirking mischievously; he tilted his head mockingly, 'Look at them, you're scaring the poor elites!' he said, and Yahaba-san and the other guy flinched angrily.

'W-We're not scared of you!' the spiky-haired guy snapped.

'Oh, you've got a point. I really should save the bullying for the game,' Tanaka-senpai acquiesced. It was then that Daichi-senpai finally found us, and stopped Tanaka-senpai. Tsukishima-san quickly put himself out of a position that would make him suspicious of joining in, as Daichi-senpai pushed Tanaka-senpai into a bow by the head, apologizing.

We then excused ourselves and began walking away. I paused and looked back when one of the boys stopped Kageyama-kun.

'Long time no see, King.' The spiky-haired one said to Kageyama-kun, who flinched silently. 'I look forward to seeing what kind of dictatorship you're running.' He added, and I frowned slightly.

I glanced over to see Kageyama-kun's reaction first.

He was quiet a moment, before simply saying 'Yeah,' while not seeming phased by the provocation. He then walked away, leaving the Aoba Johsai plays stunned at his response.

I grinned happily. It looked like he took my advice…!

'' _You had a point. If I let people like that get to me, I'm just letting myself get distracted from what's important. Winning.''_

Watching my team walk away, I waited, before turning to the two Aoba Johsai boys, 'Yahaba-san was it? And…' I glanced at the spiky-haired boy, and blinked, realizing he was kinda familiar. Oh! He was one of the guys on Kageyama-kun's team back then…!

'I-It's Kindaichi Yuutarou…!' the tall guy stuttered out in response, introducing himself.

I smiled and nodded, 'I wanted to say that today I think that you will be surprised. Kageyama-kun's changed a lot since he was on the same team as you, Kindaichi-san.' I told them, and nodded, 'So, with that said, let's have a good match today!' I said, and gave a deep bow, excusing myself.

'A-Ah… okay…' I heard them both mutter as I went over to rejoin my team. I wonder if Hinata is feeling any better yet… it was weird how red he turned earlier, I hope he's not actually getting sick on top of being nervous, too…!

* * *

 **onigiriri: I just got done watching Yuri on Ice episode 11 but I finished this before that. I'm feeling so many feelings right now. My emotions are all over the place. I'm happy, and sad, and worried all at the same time! Ahhh! Anyway, I hope you like this new chapter. I didn't manage to get Oikawa in yet apart from a mention, just Yahaba and Kindaichi, but perhaps in the next chapter~? ;)**

 **Reviews are love~! But really, I'm just glad that you're all reading and enjoying this fanfic of mine. :)**


	17. 17 The Grand King

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 17 – The Grand King.**

Eventually, everybody made their way to one of Aoba Johsai's gyms. We stood at the doorway, watching as the team practiced together. I glanced to the side across the three people that separated us to look at Hinata. He was considerably less pale, but still visibly nervous, which made me frown.

I'm still not sure what that was back in the parking area. It felt like he got embarrassed, but why? I was only trying to help him calm down just like last year…!

Daichi-senpai snapped me out of my thoughts, calling for Karasuno's team to greet and bow, to which we did, loudly.

Aoba Johsai's members turned to us at that, and returned our greet and bow, and then returned to their practice. As we continued to watch, Daichi-senpai and Suga-senpai discussed the team, and how they had more advantages over us.

Tanaka-senpai seemed to disagree, 'What's wrong with both of you? We have Hinata to shake things up, right?' he began, catching my attention, 'Well, I already know how much of a klutz you are so I'll be there to cover you. But remember that you're all alone when you serve. So don't mess up!' Senpai said and I sighed out. And he was so close to actually helping Hinata's nerves…!

Tanaka-senpai then laughed, 'Just kidding! Missing a serve is no big deal, so relax!' he added, but the damage was done.

I refocused my attention to Hinata, slowly approaching him, 'Hinata-kun—' I cut myself off when I realised he'd already disappeared again.

'Huh, where'd he go…?!' I gasped, and looked to Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san who had been next to him for answers.

Yamaguchi-san pointed back out the doors we'd came to, 'He went to the toilet again.' He informed us and a frown settled on my face.

I turned to look up at Tanaka-senpai flatly, and he flinched; I then sighed and went over to where Shimizu-senpai was standing to help her with preparations, leaving senpai to sputter confusedly.

'Looks like you really made her mad, Tanaka,' Suga-senpai said with a laugh in his voice.

'Ehh? Seriously!?' he gasped out.

Well, of course I'm annoyed! Senpai needs to know how to be a bit more delicate. That's like twice today already that he's messed up!

I let out a harsh sigh, trying to calm myself, and told Shimizu-senpai I was okay when she looked at me questioningly. Hinata didn't come back for a while, at least 10 minutes, but when he did, Daichi-senpai approached him.

He was still holding his stomach and looking uncomfortable. I wondered if he'd thrown up again when he was at the toilet, and furrowed my brows in concern.

'Hinata! There's no need to be nervous. Relax!' Daichi-senpai said.

'Y-Yes! I'll do my best to relax!' Hinata yelped out and senpai flinched. As Suga-senpai spoke to Hinata, Daichi-senpai came over to Shimizu-senpai and I.

''Mogami-san, I know you've already tried, but is there anything else you could say to him…? He's not calming down at all.' He asked me.

I bit my lip, and spoke, 'Um, I-I don't know. Since the last time I tried, earlier, he's been keeping away from me. I don't know if he'd want me to get close to him…!' I said nervously, fiddling with my fingers.

He patted my shoulder, 'Hey, don't you get upset too…! It's okay, I was just asking. Shimizu, do you think that you could try? Like, try to encourage Hinata with some words of inspiration…?' Daichi-senpai asked Shimizu-senpai.

She blinked wordlessly, before nodding and going over to Hinata, who still looked anxious. We watched with anticipation.

Shimizu-senpai stood in front of Hinata, looking down slightly at him with a straight face, and then, put her hand on his shoulder, 'I'm counting on you today.' She said and Hinata's face exploded into a violent blush, causing Daichi-senpai and I to jump with surprise.

S-So is it just girls encouraging him that cause him to react like that, then? I sighed out, relieved at least a little. At least I know he wasn't getting sick. But Hinata was still totally on edge.

I frowned and looked over to the Aoba Johsai again, wondering how this match would go…

* * *

Minutes later, everyone already was already lined up at opposite sides of the court facing each other, ready for the match. I looked to both teams anxiously, from Karasuno's side where Hinata was still visibly worried, to Aoba Johsai where I couldn't spot anyone who sounded like the way Oikawa-san was described to me in middle school.

Where was he…? Was he sick or injured?

'Now, let's begin the practice game between Karasuno and Aoba Johsai!' the referee, a coach's assistant from Aoba Johsai called out and both teams called out in agreement, bowing to each other.

Kageyama-kun was looking around, maybe he was also looking for Oikawa-san… He then turned to Hinata, 'Oi, Hinata! You know what to do? Just do it like in the 3-on-3 match we had!' he told Hinata.

'I-I know…!' Hinata squeaked out in response.

'Do you really?' Kageyama-kun asked him, disbelieving, as Aoba Johsai's number 2 got up to Serve.

'Matsukawa, nice serve!' another Aoba Johsai player called out, as the tall boy with curly black hair and thick brows hit his serve.

Daichi-senpai got ready to serve and it looked like he was going to bump it up well, but out of nowhere Hinata dashed in and tried to get it himself, and Ennoshita had to bump it up again for Tanaka-senpai.

'Got it!' Tanaka-senpai said, going in to spike, only for it to be blocked by a wall of three blockers, earning the first point for Aoba Johsai.

Kindaichi-san, one of the blockers, smirked a little, 'That's one point.' He said and Tanaka-senpai glared at him.

'Shake it off! Hinata, calm down and look around you!' Daichi-senpai said to the pale Hinata. Hinata bowed his head low, calling out an apology. The team all watched him, shocked by how nervous he really was.

The match kept on going like this for a while, and Hinata wasn't getting any better; Kageyama-kun's patience looked like it was really wearing thin, while the senpai tried to get him to calm down again.

But unfortunately, the rest of the match continued with Hinata still being as nervous and jumpy as he was before, and now Aoba Johsai were at their set point, with an 11 point lead.

That's where Kageyama-kun finally snapped at Hinata, grabbing him by his shirt, 'Hey! Stop being so nervous already!' he said, shaking Hinata about.

'I-I'm sorry! Please give me one more chance…!" Hinata cried out as I ran over to them.

'Kageyama-kun! That's not how you get someone to calm down, idiot!' I cried at him, feeling stressed out. I grabbed at my stomach… ahh, I'd been needing to 'go' for a while now, but with how badly the match had been going so far, I couldn't just leave…not when it's like this!

Kageyama looked at me with an extremely frustrated expression, 'This idiot is messing up the game for everyone!' he said.

'He's _nervous_! You need to speak to him gently, or you'll just make him even worse!' I told him exasperatedly. Kageyama-kun couldn't say anything - he was just trembling, as if trying to squash all his rage inside himself.

He eventually let go of the shivering Hinata, sighing out tersely, and stalking off to the net. I cautiously went over to Hinata's side, and gently patted his back without a word.

Hinata looked down, looking really upset, 'S-Sorry… I'm really screwing up today…' he muttered.

I shook my head at him, 'It's okay. It's just a practice match. And I know you can beat this, Hinata-kun…!' I told him softly, mentally adding a _somehow_ in my head to the statement with a sweat-drop.

He looked at me, biting his lip, with a look I couldn't really identify, before gulping and nodding, walking away from me. I could only watch him walk away from behind.

I hope he really could beat this anxiety of his…

'Right! Let's just try to get those points back. Next up to serve is…' Daichi-senpai trailed off in horror, as he realised. Yeah, I could see why.

It was Hinata's turn to serve.

He stood at the edge of the court, volleyball in hand. Everyone knew that as Hinata was right now, this could go badly, but it didn't do any good to be negative. Now was the best time to encourage him.

'Hinata-kun, you can do it!' I called out to him as he prepared to serve and he flinched slightly, dropping the ball. Ahh, did I do that?

Hinata retrieved the ball and got ready again, and everyone else got in position for his serve. Hinata threw the ball up, and nearly flubbed it, before hitting it as hard as he could in a panic.

And it flew….right into the bag of Kageyama-kun's head with a harsh smack, and I yelped out, covering my mouth.

The gym grew deathly quiet.

Kageyama-kun stood back up straight after taking the head-shot, some sort of dark aura hanging over him and we all watched him fearfully, wondering how he would react.

He slowly turned around to face Hinata, who was shaking like a leaf, while Tanaka-senpai and Tsukishima-san started laughing.

'Hey! Is the back of your head okay?!' Senpai laughed.

'Nice aim!' Tsukishima-san added, finding this hilarious.

'Hey, don't make it worse!' Suga-senpai cried out, looking stressed out. Hinata looked like he'd already accepted his 'fate'.

It was then that Kageyama-kun started to walk over to Hinata wordlessly, his expression dark, and Hinata backed away in a panic.

'W-w-wait! We can talk this over…!' he cried out.

Kageyama-kun stopped in front of him, and spoke in a low, even tone, 'Look… What's making you so nervous and freaked out? Is it the tall opponents? Is it because it's your first practice match?' he asked calmly and I watched curiously as he began to raise his hand to pat the back of his head, 'What's more frightening than nailing me on the back of the head with a serve? Tell me.' He asked Hinata, who was breaking out in a cold sweat at the thought.

'Nothing.. N-Nothing is more scary…' he stuttered.

'Then you have no reason to be nervous anymore, right? Since you've already done that, after all.' He said to Hinata, continuing to pat the back of his head almost menacingly and I finally let out a breath I'd been holding.

It seemed that this was Kageyama-kun's strange way of gently getting Hinata to calm down…and it looked like it worked…?

'Now, let's get back into the game and play properly, idiot!' he returned to yelling again, but he'd already done the trick, and Hinata blinked, colour returning to him.

'Wait, do you mean I got away with that flub…?' he asked Kageyama-kun.

'Hah? What do you mean? Of course not. We still lost the first set thanks to your dumb nerves!' Kageyama-kun replied, walking away and Hinata flinched.

But when he returned to the court, he was noticeably a lot calmer this time. This was when Tanaka-senpai approached him and I frowned unconsciously. I hoped whatever he had to say this time was at least more encouraging…

'Hey, Hinata!' he said and Hinata flinched, 'Are you thinking that you've got to be as good as the other experienced players?' he asked Hinata.

'I-I have to do my job right, or I'll be benched…! I want to play for the whole game…!' Hinata revealed the source of his anxiety.

'Hey, don't mess with me…! I know full well how much of a klutz you are! Daichi-san put you in the game knowing that as well! You can start worrying about being benched when…uh…when you're _actually_ benched!' he said, folding his arms.

Everyone looked at him incredulously. Is that supposed to be encouragement…?

Tanaka-senpai continued talking in his strange way of trying to encourage Hinata, until finally, he finished with this;

'Now listen! The thing about volleyball is that everyone on this side of the net is your ally! If you're klutzy, bring it on! Make trouble for us! Hold us back! We're here to back you up! We're a _team_! We're your _senpai_!' he said, pointing to himself dramatically.

Hinata visibly brightened up at that – it really seemed to do the trick. Hinata was back…!

'Now, call me senpai!' Tanaka-senpai prompted.

'Tanaka-senpai!' Hinata obliged.

'One more time!' Senpai said again, and Hinata did so. I sighed out in relief, sagging a little, and blinked when Shimizu-senpai tapped my shoulder with her finger. I looked to her curiously.

'You've been holding your legs together like that for a while. If you want to go to the toilets, it's okay. I think things will be fine from here on,' she said to me.

I blushed a little, 'Ah, you noticed?' I asked, feeling embarrassed at being caught out.

She smiled and nodded, 'Go on. I'll let you know what you missed when you get back,' she said as the second set started up.

I nodded, bowing my head in thanks, and made my way towards the door. I stopped, glancing to one of the Aoba Johsai players standing in reserve, and caught his attention, asking where the toilets where. He blinked, and gave me some basic directions, to which I nodded, and set off after giving one final look to the court.

Hinata was playing like he usually did, his nerves mostly evaporated. I smiled, feeling reassured with that, and left.

* * *

It took me a few minutes to find the toilet, and eventually found it after asking a female Aoba Johsai student that was passing by in her blue sports jersey. After doing my business, I let out a sigh, stepping out of the toilets.

Now, I could head back to see how the boys were doing in their match. I wondered if they'd won the second set yet or not.

I had only taken a few steps back towards the gym when a voice stopped me.

'Oh~? What do we have here?' the voice was deep, and smooth. My curiosity captured me, and I turned around to find the source of the voice. Standing a few meters away from me was a tall boy with dark brown, curly but styled hair, and brown eyes. He was actually quite handsome, I felt, blushing a little.

Then I noticed what he was wearing. The same Aoba Johsai jersey jacket and pants I'd seen Kindaichi-san and Yahaba-san in earlier.

With a charming smile, he walked towards me, hands in his pockets, looking me up and down.

'Judging by what you're wearing, you're not from Seijoh, are you? What're you doing here?' he asked me.

I jumped a little, surprised, and feeling on the spot, 'Oh, um, I-I'm here with my school for a practice match. They're playing right now, but I just stepped out for a bit.' I replied, feeling a little nervous because his eyes didn't leave me.

He smiled, eyes closed, 'I know. I saw the 'Karasuno' on the back of your jersey already. I'm actually with Aoba Johsai's team, but I was running late. Want to walk over there with me~?' he asked me.

I blinked, taken aback, 'Oh, um… ah! Then might you be Oikawa Tōru-san?' I asked, realizing.

His eyebrows raised, looking pleased, 'Oh, so you know who I am? Do I get to know your name, then?' he asked me, leaning in slightly.

I stepped back a bit, 'I-It's Mogami Moeka. I'm a first year at Karasuno High School.' I told him. Oikawa-san nodded and gestured for me to follow him back to the gym. I hesitantly joined him at his side, walking back.

'I see! So then you'll know my kohai, Tobio-chan, won't you? He's playing Setter today like promised?' he asked me.

Tobio-chan…?

'Um, yes, Kageyama-kun is playing today.' I confirmed.

'Good…' Oikawa-san said with a smirk, his eyes narrowing. I looked up at him curiously. I wondered what that expression was all about…

He then brightened up, 'So anyway, how did you find out my name? Is my popularity spreading to other schools as well, now? Or did Tobio-chan talk about me…?' he asked.

'Um, well, in middle school I heard a lot of things from other girls about you. About how good you were at Setting, and that got me interested because I was trying to become a Setter who supported their team-mates effectively too…' I revealed to him.

Oikawa-san nodded, accepting the information; 'So in order words, you look to me as your senpai in Setting?' he probed, looking down to me.

I blushed hotly, looking everywhere but at him, 'U-Um… Y-Yeah. I think you're a great Setter! I can't possibly match up… er, to Setters like you and Kageyama-kun…!' I stuttered.

He was quiet for a moment, and I glanced back through the bangs of my hair to see him momentarily hold a sour expression, before morphing it back into a well-practiced smile.

'Aww, you're so cute!' he said, patting my head a few times; 'We're at the gym already. It was nice talking to you, Moeka-chan~!' he said, and opened the doors to the gym, going in ahead of me. I heard a bunch of girls squealing at him, muffled by the door separating us.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, patting my cheeks as if willing them to cool down. I'd never even seen a picture of him before today, let alone meeting him in person, but now that I had, I was finally able to understand what my classmates had been squealing over back in middle school. He really was attractive, and had this charm about him too…but at the same time, something felt off about him…?

His 'charm' felt really…rehearsed.

* * *

Letting out another loud, deep sigh, I pulled on the door and entered the gym again finally. I immediately went back over to Shimizu-senpai's side and she looked at me.

'You were gone for a while. You're a little red. Are you okay?' she asked me.

'I-It's nothing, I just embarrassed myself a little back there is all…!' I said, rubbing the back of my neck. She blinked at me, confused.

'Huh?' Shimizu-senpai added, and shrugged, 'Well, the boys have been doing well so far. While you were gone, they took the second set.' She said and I jumped in surprise.

I grinned widely, 'R-Really..!?' I asked her breathlessly. She grinned and nodded.

'Hinata finally got into it, and Seijoh couldn't keep up. But Kageyama was saying something about how things might be different now that the new guy that just came in is here. He's over there warming up.' Shimizu-senpai said, pointing over to Oikawa-san, who was doing some stretches.

'Yeah, that's Oikawa Tōru. He won the Best Setter award back in middle school, and I heard he's still considered one of the best Setters right now.' I nodded, 'It might get rough when they sub him in.' I added.

And they definitely would sub him in; he's their official Setter after all. And from what he said in the hallway, I had an inkling that maybe he had something to do with asking for Kageyama-kun to be the Setter for Karasuno in this practice match.

The second Set had already been in play for a few minutes now, and Karasuno were in the lead for points, but only just barely so far. I watched the match at Shimizu-senpai's side, glancing to Oikawa-san every now and then.

When were they going to sub him in…?

The match was getting closer and close to being over, and it seemed like Karasuno might have a chance…at least, until Oikawa-san came in. We were in the mid-teens for points at the moment, so in less than 10 points it might be all over.

The spectators watching from the stands above were making it very clear that they were anxious for Oikawa-san to start playing and it looked like it was really getting on Tanaka-senpai's nerves.

'Ora, ora, ora!' Tanaka-senpai cried out, fueled by some kind of spite, scoring another point after sending the ball flying between the two Seijoh blockers. This kept on going, switching between Hinata, Tanaka-senpai and the other players, and the points steadily built up with still no sign of Oikawa-san coming in.

Until Karasuno were at Set Point again; 21 – 24 to Karasuno.

That was when the girls started squealing again, and I looked to see that Oikawa-san had now switched from his tracksuit into some shorts, a shirt, and his number jersey.

He was being subbed in as a Pinch Server…! I gulped in anticipation for what might happen next.

Oikawa-san stood at the edge of the court with the ball, smirking confidently; 'No matter how strong their attacks are… it falls flat if they never get to play the ball.' He said, lifting the ball and pointing towards Tsukishima-san discreetly.

It looks like Tsukishima-san noticed that subtle hint as well, as he tensed up as Oikawa-san threw the ball up for a jump serve and the spectators cheered him on.

The ball went directly to Tsukishima-san, who failed to receive it correctly, scoring a point for Seijoh. I bit my lip, as Oikawa-san got ready to serve again.

'Yep, I thought so. I watched the set from about midway and it seems like Number 6 and Number 5 aren't great at receiving serves.' Oikawa-san deduced, looking from Tsukishima-san to Hinata.

He figured that out just from a few minutes of watching… Oikawa-san's pretty observant…!

'Well, I'm going to go for another.' He said, and set another frighteningly fast jump serve Tsukishima-san's way. Again, he didn't manage to receive it properly, and Seijoh scored another Service Ace point.

Hinata seemed to be getting annoyed, 'Hey, you! Grand King!' he called out Oikawa-san with some sort of nickname, 'Aim for me! I can take it! Bring it on!' he said, shaking a fist at him.

I hid a chuckle behind my hand, smiling at Hinata's antics.

'Stop yelling! You're acting like a kid!' Tsukishima-san snapped at him.

'Excuse me!?' Hinata snapped back, looking frustrated.

Oikawa-san was quickly closing the gap between the points so it's understandable. I was feeling pretty tense too. I glanced over to where Oikawa-san was, to find he'd actually been looking my way.

When our eyes met, he grinned and flashed me a peace sign, before getting ready to serve again.

'Hey what was that look he gave our manager, _that bastard_!' Tanaka-senpai snapped while I tried to control my blush at being put on the spot.

'Hey, Tanaka, calm down! He's trying to rile us up so we make mistakes!' Daichi-senpai scolded him.

'Tsukishima, listen up! Volleyball is a game where each and every guy on this side of the net is your ally!' Hinata called to Tsukishima-san, remembering Tanaka-senpai's words.

'What choice words of wisdom!' Tanaka-senpai agreed, effectively distracted from what had just happened.

'Right! Fall back as a group. Tsukishima, you get closer to the side line.' Daichi-senpai said and Tsukishima-san nodded.

'All right, let's do this!' Daichi-senpai added, and everyone agreed, getting back into position for the next play.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Sorry, I had to cut it off again! Please don't kill me, haha! It was getting a bit too long for my liking, unfortunately. But, I already have the rest of the match written out, and the next chapter will come Wednesday-ish!**

 **So, Oikawa finally arrived~ Let me know if you liked his interacting with Moeka or not?**

 **EDIT: Also, a review mentioned that they found my story on Quotev under 'riceball-girl'. I just want to let you know, that the copy of this story on Quotev is ALSO ME, so don't worry! It is also on my Deviantart account as an xreader fic under the username also 'onigiriri'! So do not worry about it! :)**


	18. 18 The Guardian Deity

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 18 – The Guardian Deity.**

Oikawa-san's expression became serious then, and he prepared another serve. Throwing it up, he went into a running jump, and hit the ball with no less intensity than his last couple of serves.

It went to Tsukishima-san again, but this time, he managed to get it up.

'Hey, you got it. Way to go.' Oikawa-san said, not seeming worried, Maybe I made it too easy to get. Still… this is our chance ball now.' He said, as the ball indeed started going back over to their side.

Oikawa-san bumped the ball back up calmly, and it went to Yahaba-san to send into a toss for Kindaichi-san. He went into spike, but like he didn't see Hinata coming, he was surprised when it hit off Hinata's hand and went up. A One-Touch!

Kageyama-kun immediately went after it, and as soon as Hinata touched down on the ground he raced to the opposite side of the court to spike, shocking Kindaichi-san again.

As Seijoh's spiky haired Number 1 and Kindaichi-san raced to catch up with Hinata, I saw Oikawa-san freeze up for some reason; he looked shocked.

He didn't even move when Hinata's spike whizzed past him and scored a point. I broke out in a cheer, happy! With that point, the set was over!

Karasuno won the practice match!

Oikawa-san was staring at Hinata weirdly, and a _genuine_ excited smile was spread across his face. It felt like Hinata really impressed him, while his teammates just looked frustrated at their loss.

Well, whatever…! Karasuno won against a top-tier team! I'm feeling pretty happy right now!

I ran over to congratulate them, complimenting them on their plays, to which they laughed and thanked me, looking pleased with their selves as well. The match had gone better than we'd thought it would despite the hiccup of a first set. We were in high spirits!

As the boys went over to bow to Takeda-sensei, our club advisor, I followed after with a smile on my face.

Takeda-sensei, looking surprised, got up and nervously started talking after being prompted by Suga-senpai.

'Oh, right. Well, I'm still an amateur when it comes to volleyball, but I can tell that something amazing is happening here! We acquired some amazing first years for the new school year, and at first there were complications. But I think I understand why now!' he said and we all watched him as he continued into an impromptu speech.

'It doesn't matter if you're not all on the same page. When people are brought together, it triggers a chemical reaction. Somewhere, a world-changing encounter is happening at this very moment. It could be happening in a faraway land, or maybe even on the other side of the world. Or it could be happening on a small island to the east, in a small northern town in an average high school, or in an average volleyball club. I believe that such an encounter was made here, at Karasuno High School.' He said;

'I-I have nothing to base this on but it's better than not believing at all! You kids are going to keep becoming more and more impressive than you are now…' he said, and we all continued to stare at sensei, stunned at how deep he had gotten. It was actually a little touching…!

'I-I'm sorry! Was that overly poetic!? Was it too much…!?' Takeda-sensei asked, flushing pink.

'No, not at all, sensei! Thank you!' Daichi-senpai said, and bowed; we all followed suit, thanking Takeda-sensei for his inspiring words. I rubbed the corner of my eye which was a little damp.

Suga-senpai laughed good-naturedly and patted my shoulder, 'Were you touched?' he asked.

'It was very inspiring. That's a literature teacher for you…!' I said with a soft giggle.

* * *

Things proceeded as normal after that. We thanked Aoba Johsai for having us over for the practice match and bid them farewell. After all the boys had gotten their jerseys and had made their toilet breaks, we all gathered at the doors to leading outside, and exited together.

The sun was low in the sky now, and it would probably be even darker by the time we got back to Karasuno.

As we walked out of the school, Daichi-senpai spoke up; 'I know what Takeda-sensei said, but to be blunt, we were missing something vital to win a real game against Seijoh that would feature Oikawa from the start.' He said, and I nodded.

'Ooh, spoken like a captain. So you do have eyes.' A voice said and we all turned our attention to the front gates, where Oikawa-san was already waiting for us. He turned to face us with a smirk.

'T-The Great King appears!' Hinata gasped, while Tanaka-senpai scowled menacingly.

'What's with you?! You wanna rumble!?' Tanaka-senpai asked, and Hinata echoed his words while standing safely behind senpai. I muffled an exasperated laugh.

'Hey, no need to act so scary. Hey, you, the short one.' Oikawa-san said, turning to Hinata, who jumped in surprise - 'That last one-touch and broad jump was pretty impressive.' He complimented and I widened my eyes.

Oikawa-san complimented Hinata!? Maybe he wasn't so bad after all…

'Oh? Ehehe…' Hinata blushed under the praise.

Oikawa smirked, a competitive look in his eyes, 'Next time, try to use full force from the start, ok? I still haven't shown you how I set up yet.' He said, and smiled, looking to Tsukishima-san, 'Oh, right. And I'll be working on perfecting my serve as well.' He said, and nodded, continuing;

'Your combination attack is pretty amazing, but your receives need to be better or you'll run out of power. After all, I'm not the only one who can hit power serves…' he said, and began walking towards us, 'The inter-high is coming up and I want you guys to make the cut. I want to squash my special little kohai in an official game, fair and square as a fellow Setter!' he said, pointing to Kageyama-kun dramatically.

'W-We can train to improve our receives!' Hinata jumped in, grabbing at the unwilling Tsukishima-san's sleeve, to the blonde's disliking.

'Receives aren't something you can improve in a day. I'm sure your captain knows this too. The tournament is coming up soon, so I look forward to seeing you there. Ah. And Moeka-chan, this is for you,' he said, getting something from his pocket. Instinctively I lifted my hand and opened it, and he pressed a small square of paper into my palm.

He smiled down on me, before continuing away from us with a lazy wave, as I curled my fingers around the paper he'd given me.

'What was that-!? He did that right in front of us - the nerve of that asshole! Hey, what did he give you!?' Tanaka-senpai was immediately at my side and I jumped in surprise.

I opened up my fingers and took the paper, unfolding it, and when I did, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

He just gave me his phone number and email…

Looking at it over my shoulder, Suga-senpai vocalized his incredulity, alerting the other boys to what at happened.

'Cocky sunova…! The _nerve_ of that-' Tanaka-senpai didn't know how to put into words whatever he was feeling, as Kageyama-kun frowned at the paper in my hand.

He stepped towards me, 'What are you going to do with it?' he asked. I blinked up at him, still surprised at this whole situation, before humming and looking at Hinata. He was staring at me silently, wondering what I would do as well. But there was a furrow to his brow that I managed to catch.

He seemed anxious… That made my decision for me.

I sighed out, looking down at the phone number paper again, and then looked over to spot a bin nearby.

Without a further thought, I went over to it and deposited the phone number in the bin, and clapped my hands together as if brushing off dust.

I smiled over to the Karasuno boys, 'Takeda-sensei's probably wondering where we are. Let's go?' I asked them, tilting my head to them.

They grinned back at me, a select few of them sagging their shoulders in relief, and they nodded. With that, we began on our way again; as we did, Kageyama-kun moved to walk beside me.

'You made the right choice,' he mumbled, 'I know how he was in middle school, and well… If he hasn't changed since then, he likely only did that on a whim.' He said, frowning slightly.

I nodded silently, knowing I had indeed done the right thing.

As we left Aoba Johsai's school grounds, I felt someone's eyes on the back of my head, but I didn't look back, my attention on Daichi-senpai after he started speaking.

'Anyway, Oikawa had a point. The inter-high _is_ coming around soon, but we'll be ready. After all, _he's_ coming back soon.' Senpai said and Hinata, Kageyama-kun, Tsukishima-san, Yamaguchi-san and I looked at Daichi-senpai curiously.

'Who's coming back?' Hinata voiced the question we all wanted to ask senpai.

Daichi-senpai smirked at the thought, as we arrived at our rented bus, and answered us; 'The Guardian Deity of Karasuno.'

* * *

Later on, after we'd returned to Karasuno, the boys practiced for a little bit longer to warm down, and then, Daichi-senpai had us do some light cleaning of the gym.

Hinata was exhausted, almost falling asleep on his feet as he mopped the gym floor. Ennoshita-senpai was watching over him to make sure he didn't fall asleep right there, so I proceeded to the storage room for sports equipment with Suga-senpai and Yamaguchi-san.

I saw Yamaguchi-san picking up something strange, and after putting down the folded net, I went over to join him at his side.

'What's that, Yamaguchi-san?' I asked him, and he jumped slightly.

'Ah…' he said uncertainly, turning to face me with two pieces of a broken mop in his hands, 'I found this mop, but it appears to be broken. Um, can we throw away this mop? It's kind of dangerous…' Yamaguchi-san said, turning to where Suga-senpai was standing.

Our silver-haired senpai turned around to see what we were showing him, and his eyes widened.

He came over and quickly took the mop from us, looking down at it with a pained expression, 'Leave it where it is! It's fine. It can be fixed…' he trailed off, going into deep thought.

Yamaguchi-san and I looked at him curiously, wondering what was going through senpai's head. It was surprising that such a thing as a broken mop would hold some sort of sentimental value to Suga-senpai.

I wondered if there was a story to it, but I decided not to press it.

Instead, I smiled up at senpai, 'I think there's some really good industrial strength tape at my house. Shall I bring it tomorrow morning, senpai?' I asked him.

He blinked out of his thoughts, and looked to me in surprise.

'Though I'm not sure what, the mop holds some kind of meaning to you, right?' I asked him, scratching my cheek awkwardly.

He stared at me a moment longer, before blushing lightly, and laughing with a smile, 'Ahh, that'd be great. Thank you, Mogami-san!' he said, and looked down at the broken wood in his hands, 'Yes, though it's in this broken state at the moment, I'm certain that we can fix what was broken…' he said with a resolute nod.

I'm not sure what he was talking about exactly, still, but nevertheless, I agreed to bring the tape, and everyone left for the night upon finishing our cleaning up.

Since it was already so late, I had to run ahead of the rest of the boys to catch the next closest bus, and so left them behind. As I stood at the bus-stop that evening, my mind went back to what Daichi-senpai had said to us about Karasuno's 'Guardian Deity'.

I wondered if we'd meet this deity soon…!

* * *

On my way to the gym in the afternoon of the next day, I looked up to spot a shorter guy walking up ahead of me.

He had a black gakuran tied around his waist and his white shirt had some sort of slogan messily printed on it. His dark hair was spiked up wildly, but as his back was turned to me, I couldn't get a good look at him.

But there was something I did know. He was walking straight for the Volleyball club's doors.

I quietly followed him, curious.

What I saw surprised me. Kageyama-kun had been arguing with Hinata, and then went to spike the ball, when the short guy suddenly sped in and intercepted the ball, cleanly sending it back up into play, surprising Kageyama-kun and Hinata.

I gasped in surprise, and went up the steps to look in.

The guy stood up and took his jersey from his waist, and held it over one of his shoulders, grinning. As Hinata slowly approached him, I watched curiously. Seeing him from the front, I could also see that he had a tuft of hair died a lighter colour than the rest of it.

'Y-You're shorter than me…!' Hinata gasped, stunned at the realisation once he stood near to the guy.

He flinched, and then clenched a fist, speaking indignantly to Hinata; 'Hey! What did you just say to me!?'

Hinata jumped in fright, shrinking away, as I stepped inside he gym finally, making my way over to the two of them.

'I-I'm sorry!' he cried, 'U-Um, may I ask how tall you are…?' he asked the guy shorter than him.

He hummed, and grinned, pointing to himself dramatically as if proud, 'I'm 5 foot 2!' he said, and Hinata was…moved?

'It's the first time I'm looking down at someone since joining high school…!" he cried, rubbing his eyes, while the guy looked annoyed at that.

'Don't be moved to tears! You're not looking that far down!' he snapped, and I chuckled lightly, and the boy turned his attention to me.

His eyes widened and he audibly gasped, and his cheeks got pink, and then he pointed me, 'W-W-Who're you!?' he asked me, suddenly looking a little shy, and I blinked at him, surprised.

'A-Ah, um, Mogami Moeka. I'm a first year, assisting the boys' volleyball club this year!' I said with a nervous laugh, bowing my head to him; he seemed to squeak at that.

'Ooh, so this year we were blessed with another cute girl manager? Ahh, this is a good time to be alive…!' he cried, looking upwards and putting his hands together in some sort of prayer.

'U-Uhm…' I stuttered. Who is this guy…?

It was then that Tanaka-senpai joined us in the gym, and when he saw the guy, he seemed to recognize him immediately, 'Hey, it's Noya-san!' he said, happy to see the short boy.

'Oh, Ryu!' the short boy greeted Tanaka-senpai back as Daichi-senpai and Suga-senpai joined us as well, greeting the newcomer as 'Nishinoya'.

Daichi-senpai smiled to us first years, 'Oh, that's right, you guys don't know him yet. This is Nishinoya Yuu, a second year.' He said, introducing us properly.

'Yo! So all three of you are first years, huh? You, the guy who just served! The tall one with the evil eyes!' Nishinoya-senpai said, pointing to Kageyama-kun, 'Which middle school are you from?!' he asked him.

'Ah, Kitagawa Daiichi.' Kageyama-kun managed to reply.

Nishinoya-senpai seemed impressed, 'For real? That school's for champs! That explains the serve! I lost to them 2-1 when I played against them in middle school. They had someone who could deliver even better serves!' he said chattily.

'N-Nishinoya-san, which middle school are you from?' Kageyama-kun asked him.

'Chidoriyama!' Nishinoya-senpai replied proudly. Ooh! I've heard of that one too. They were pretty good…!

'That's a strong school! What made you choose Karasuno, then? Is it because you heard Coach Ukai was coming back, too?' Kageyama-kun asked Nishinoya-senpai.

Nishinoya-senpai adopted a serious expression at that question, 'No, I chose Karasuno because… their girls' school uniform is totally right up my ally.' He said and I was shocked.

I unconsciously took a step backwards, thinking that was a kind of weird reason to pick a school. Although, I do admit, I liked my school uniform…

Nishinoya-senpai then went on to add that he really loved that he got to wear a black gakuran for high-school, and that he'd had to wear a blazer in middle school that he didn't really like. And then, he tagged on the end, that it was also a short commute from home to here, as more of an after thought…

I've concluded that Nishinoya-senpai is kind of weird within knowing him barely 10 minutes…

It was then that Shimizu-senpai arrived and it was if it stirred him up even more…!

'Hey, it's Kiyoko-san! I've missed you…!' he said, running for senpai, only to get slapped. Well, I didn't blame her. That was pretty startling…

'He blows through like a storm, like usual…' Suga-senpai said, almost in wonder, like he'd known that this was what Nishinoya-senpai was like, but somehow still didn't fully expect him to be this way.

'He's like a tempest.' Hinata agreed.

Daichi-senpai laughed, 'Noisy, isn't he? But his playing style is surprisingly… silent.' He said cryptically, as Nishinoya-senpai began making his way back towards us.

'So, where's Asahi-san? Is he back?' he asked Suga-senpai, Tanaka-senpai and Daichi-senpai, who flinched.

Daichi-senpai hung his head slightly, 'No…' he replied, and Nishinoya-senpai became angry.

'That spineless coward!' he growled out, surprising us first years.

Tanaka-senpai stepped forward, 'Hey, Noya-san! That's no way to talk about one of our senpai!' he scolded his friend.

'Shut up! A spineless coward will always be _a spineless coward!_ ' Nishinoya-senpai roared, furious at this 'Asahi-san' that I'd never heard of before this. Who was he…?

'If Asahi-san isn't coming back, then I'm not coming back either!' he continued, before tersely turning around and bolting out of the gym, enraged.

'Hey, wait! Noya-san!' Tanaka-senpai tried to call him back but it was no use. Nishinoya-senpai had left the gym with no intent to return.

Hinata, Kageyama-kun and I were left to watch him leave, stunned at the suddenly violent reaction of our senpai and at a loss to the context behind it. Not too soon after, Hinata decided to follow after Nishinoya-senpai and I decided to go with him, curious.

* * *

'S-Say…' Hinata hesitantly called out to Nishinoya-senpai, who paused and grunted back at him, not turning to face him.

'Nishiya-san—' Hinata began and I nudged him, whispering the correct name to him, 'I-I mean Nishinoya-san, you are a Libero right? You specialize in defense?' he asked our senpai.

'What makes you say that? Is it because I'm short?' Nishinoya-senpai said, sounding a little annoyed still; as he turned around he spotted me, and paused slightly, before sitting down on a bench.

'Eh? No. Because you're good at receives.' Hinata corrected and senpai looked at us; I nodded in agreement, 'You can pull off being a Libero because you're good at receiving, right?' Hinata asked him.

I agreed, 'When you received Kageyama-kun's serve back there, I was so impressed, senpai!' I added, hoping to cheer up our senpai who seemed so angry before.

He blushed, and tried to wave it off, 'A-Aww, shucks! That was nothing…!' he said happily, rubbing the back of his head, before smiling confidently, turning to Hinata; 'So, you two seem to know your stuff after all, then.' He added.

Hinata nodded, 'Our captain called you our Guardian Deity!' he added, joining in.

This really got to senpai, and he blushed even more, 'Guardian what? Where'd that come from!? I don't deserve to be given such a pretentious nickname!' he said modestly, and I giggled.

'D-Did he really say that…?' he asked hopefully.

I nodded, 'He did! And it sounded cool, right Hinata-kun?' I asked my friend.

He nodded emphatically, 'It sounded _super_ cool!' he agreed.

Nishinoya-senpai seemed to be conflicted, 'I-If he thinks that such an awesome n-nickname will make me drop my standards and come back…h-he's got another thing coming…!' he said.

Hinata hummed, looking down, 'I'm still terrible at receiving. And it's the most important aspect of volleyball. S-So…! Could you please teach me how to receive better!? Please! …Noshinoya-senpai!' Hinata finished, dealing the final blow, so to speak.

I decided to also lend a hand, 'Please, will you help Hinata-kun, Nishinoya-senpai?' I asked him sincerely.

Nishinoya-senpai recoiled as if he'd been struck, and hung his head as if defeated.

'Hey…' he said lowly, and we waited for him to continue, and senpai got up, putting a hand on Hinata's shoulder, 'After we're done with practice…I'll treat you to a GariGari-kun… Moeka-san too!' he suddenly looked at me and I jumped, surprised to hear my given name all of a sudden.

Nishinoya-senpai then pointed to himself again, cheeks rosy with happiness, 'Because, I'm you guys' senpai!' he declared dramatically.

I smiled a little, as Hinata cheered excitedly, and nodded, 'That's so nice of you senpai, thank you!' I thanked him.

He nodded a few times, folding his arms, 'Think nothing of it! It's the natural duty of a _senpai_.' He said the last word with extra emphasis, and then, added on this; 'But that doesn't mean I'm coming back to the club, you hear? I'm just teaching you!' he told Hinata.

'Ossu!' Hinata said enthusiastically, and bowed in thanks. I nodded and bowed in thanks alongside him.

Noshinoya-senpai was a very emotional, enthusiastic guy, but he was easily won over with compliments and the use of the word 'senpai' it seemed. He seemed like a funny guy.

If he decided to fully come back to the club, I wonder how much stronger the team would get…?

And this 'Asahi-san' that he mentioned… I still wondered exactly who this guy was, why he was so important, and why he quit in the first place.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: So, this was meant to come out tomorrow, but I ended up starting it tonight because I have to do Christmas shopping tomorrow. But then the chapter practically wrote itself before I kne** **w it and now it's all ready here, a day early! I hope you like it, I'm super happy to have Noya here now!**

 **Next chapter will be out on Christmas Eve as my present to all of you lovely readers that have said such lovely things in the reviews! Thank you!**

 **xxxx :)**


	19. 19 The Glass-Hearted Ace

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 19 – The Glass Hearted Ace**

At after school practice, as promised, Nishinoya-senpai did arrive at the gym to teach Hinata how to receive like him. But from what I could see from the side of the gym, it didn't seem to be going too great.

'So what I'm saying is, you shwoom in, swish together and then, _thump_! Like that!' Nishinoya-senpai said, demonstrating how he put his arms for a receive. The movements were right, but his way of wording things left much to be desired.

It was a familiar language though I wasn't really fluent in it – Kageyama-kun and Hinata seemed to speak it well enough though.

Next to me was Suga-senpai, and a little ways to our left stood Kageyama-kun and Tanaka-senpai.

'It's impossible to decipher the words of someone who just moves on instinct.' Tanaka-senpai said exasperatedly.

Kageyama-kun blinked, 'Really? I got a good idea what he meant.' He said.

'That's cause you two are cut from the same cloth!' Tanaka-senpai loudly insisted and I giggled quietly to myself. After a while of watching Nishinoya-senpai interact with the team, Tanaka-senpai moved over to join us on Suga-senpai's other free side.

'Nishinoya really hasn't lost his touch at all.' Suga-senpai commented, and Tanaka-senpai nodded.

'I heard he trained the whole time he was suspended. Like with all the girls' teams.' Tanaka-senpai replied.

'Oh, like Hinata then! Right, Mogami-san?' Suga-senpai said, turning to me.

'I guess it is.' I agreed with a smile and a nod.

'By the way… Who's this Asahi person people keep mentioning?' Hinata's voice speaking to Nishinoya-senpai suddenly came to my attention, and everyone elses.

'Ahh, that's the name that must not be spoken!' Tanaka-senpai gasped beside me.

I blinked, 'Huh? But why?' I asked, wondering what kind of guy this Asahi was, that his name was some sort of taboo.

Suga-senapi rubbed the back of his head, 'Ah, well, that… he's…' he trailed off, wondering how to put it.

Nishinoya-senpai responded in his place; 'He's the Ace of Karasuno. For now.' He said, and I widened my eyes in surprise. So we _did_ have an Ace! I had been wondering about that.

Nishinoya-senpai spoke again, 'Why have you gone all quiet?' he asked Hinata, hands on his hips.

'I want to be the Ace!' Hinata answered him seriously.

'Ah? You wanna be the Ace with your height?' Nishinoya-senpai asked, blinking, and Hinata's mood dipped at that question; senpai then patted his shoulder roughly, 'I like you! That's great! Become the Ace!' he encouraged Hinata enthusiastically, surprising us all.

'You'd be a heck of a lot better than our current Ace!' Nishinoya-senpai added, and started laughing, while I noticed that Suga-senpai locked up next to me in reaction to the Libero's words.

I looked to him curiously for a moment, before tuning back into Hinata and Nishinoya-senpai's conversation.

'But the one thing that really works up a crowd during a game better than any spike is definitely when a super receive is made! In the tall-beats-all volleyball, the Libero is the one position best suited for a short player. But I do not play Libero because of my height. I'd still be a Libero even if I were 6 feet tall! Even if you can't spike or block, you cannot lose in volleyball as long as the ball doesn't touch the floor. And the one who does that job the best is the Libero!' Nishinoya said passionately and I smiled, nodding to myself.

'Th-that's so cool!' Hinata cried, moved.

'I-Idiot…! You don't have to say it so loud and clear like that!' Senpai blushed, clearly liking the praise nonetheless, and he proceeded to offer two GariGari-kun to Hinata, instead of just one.

'Yes!' Hinata nodded, pumped up.

'So, Ace wannabe. What's your special skill?! You may not be great at receives but I bet you have something.' Nishinoya-senpai asked, and Hinata's mood dipped again, as he started to become abashed.

'D…Decoy…' Hinata muttered.

'Why'd you get all quiet saying that…?' Nishinoya-senpai asked.

'W-Well… it's not cool like Ace and Guardian Deity.' Hinata explained shyly and I pouted at him.

'What it's called has nothing to do with it. If someone can score with a spike thanks to your decoy work, then that makes your position as important as the rest of them.' Nishinoya-senpai explained and I smiled at his words. He may not be great explaining how he receives, but is he ever great at pep talks…!

'Karasuno now has the greatest decoy. All those spokes that never made a point will start counting as long as our Hinata-Kageyama combo play.' Suga-senpai said as Daichi-senpai walked over, and he nodded in agreement; 'I have a feeling we can change from that chemical reaction Takeda-sensei talked about.' He added.

'I hope we can change for the better.' Daichi-senpai agreed.

'Hey, no discouraging talk.' Suga-senpai laughed, 'Seeing this, I feel like I should start trying harder.' He said, adopting a serious expression. I looked up at him, extra curious now.

'What are you going to do, senpai?' I asked him, and he looked down to me.

'Ahh, well… Don't worry. I'm just going to talk to an friend of mine about something. Hopefully, if things go well, the team will grow even stronger!' Suga-senpai evasively said, smiling.

Why so mysterious, Suga-senpai…?

* * *

The next day between classes, I found myself whisked along for the ride when Hinata and Kageyama-kun showed up at Tsukishima-san, Yamaguchi-san's and my classroom, saying they were going to go and try to meet Karasuno's Ace, the one called Asahi.

They offered to invite us, the final three of the first years, to go along with them.

'Why would I want to go anywhere with you two? You can forget it.' Tsukishima-san said, before turning back to continue with the strawberry milk box in his hand. Yamaguchi also politely declined, while I stood up from my desk.

'I don't have anything to do right now, and I'm curious too. Let me come along.' I said with a smile, going over to them.

'Aw right! Then let's go!' Hinata cheered, and that was that.

By now, we had arrived on the floor where the third years had classes, and the boys were getting cold feet.

'Hinata-kun, what's the matter?' I asked my hesitant-looking friend.

'Y-You and Kageyama go first. See if he wants to talk to us!' Hinata said.

'Hah? You're the one who wanted to see the Ace, remember?' Kageyama-kun frowned at him, and I was about to speak when we were cut off by Suga-senpai suddenly dashed out of a classroom after a really tall guy with brown hair tied in a man-bun.

'Wait up, Asahi!' he called and we all looked at the tall third year by us.

'Asahi?' Hinata repeated, and the guy turned to us. Hinata jumped in surprise and hid behind Kageyama-kun and I, while Suga-senpai looked to us in surprise.

'Oh, what're you three doing here?' Suga-senpai asked us.

'A-Ah, well, we wanted to see what Karasuno's Ace was like, senpai.' I replied

Suga-senpai sighed and smiled, 'I see…' he said, and got between us; 'I'll introduce you. These are Hinata and Kageyama who just joined the team. And this girl is Mogami Moeka, our assistant manager starting this year.' Suga-senpai said, and we nodded in greeting.

'Ah, the first years then. Hey.' Asahi-senpai greeted, and turned to Suga-senpai, 'How many did you get this year?' he asked him.

'Two more after these three. But they all show a lot of promise.' Suga-senpai explained. Asahi-senpai smiled gently.

'I see.' He said, and turned to us; placing a hand on Hinata's shoulder, he added, 'Do your best.' He said.

'Aren't you going to do your best too, with us?' Hinata asked and Asahi-senpai frowned; 'I want to become the Ace so I want to see a real Ace in action!' Hinata added, and the third-year just smiled awkwardly.

'Azumane, the teacher's waiting for you!' a guy called from behind Asahi-senpai, and he turned away from us slightly, responding.

As he left, he apologised, 'Sorry, but I'm no Ace.' He said, and bid us farewell. We all could only watch him leave with sad, confused expressions.

'Suga-senpai, what happened to him? Why does Asahi-senpai seem so…beaten down?' I asked senpai and Kageyama-kun nodded.

'Did he get injured or something?' he asked.

Suga-senpai sighed out sadly, furrowing his brows, 'No, he didn't get injured. The problem is… that he may hate volleyball now.' He replied.

'Eh…? If that's true, that's too sad!' I pouted at the thought.

'But how could someone who was so tall and called the Ace ever even…!?' Hinata trailed off, astonished.

'Asahi was Karasuno's biggest and most powerful player. He could score in the trickiest, most problematic scenarios. That's why we all trusted him and called him the Ace. But…' Suga-senpai trailed off.

'Was he crushed?' Kageyama-kun asked.

'In this one game, his spikes were ruthlessly, repeatedly blocked. Asahi is the type who feels doubly responsible.' Suga-senpai answered, and let out a deep sigh.

He looked really troubled by this… I wondered if there was anything we could do to help with this. It filled my thoughts as we bid farewell to Suga-senpai at the end of break, and as I continued with the rest of my classes for the day.

* * *

Soon, it was time for after school practice again, and while Tanaka-senpai and Tsukishima-san were laughing at a rolling receive Nishinoya-senpai had given a flashy name, Takeda-sensei ran into the gym to announce something to us.

'Well done, guys! Can I have your attention, everyone!?' he called, and we all turned to look at him; 'You're all doing the Golden Week training camp this year too, right?' he asked us and Hinata suddenly looked excited.

'Yes. We need more practice.' Daichi-senpai confirmed.

'Anyway, for the final day of Golden Week…I've booked you guys another practice game!' he announced and the boys all cheered. Ooh! I wonder what kind of team they'll face this time!

'Wow! You're really pulling your weight, Take-chan!' Tanaka-senpai commented.

'Who are we playing against?' Suga-senpai added.

'A veteran school in Tokyo – Nekoma High School!' Takeda-sensei revealed and my eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

'N-Nekoma High School!?' I cried out, surprising most of the boys with my outburst. They looked over at me quizzically, and then Hinata came to a realisation.

'Could it be?! Is that…!?' he asked me excitedly.

I smiled excitedly and nodded, 'Yes! It's the school Micchan went to!' I confirmed.

'Waaah, so cool!' Hinata cheered, throwing his hands up in the air.

'Eh? Who's 'Micchan'?' Tanaka-senpai asked, baffled.

I turned to the team, 'Ehehe, sorry about my outburst…! Um, Nekoma is actually the school that my friend Ayasato Michiko went to for high school, so I got excited hearing the name…!' I said, blushing in embarrassment.

Suga-senpai laughed, 'Oh, I see.' He nodded.

Daichi-senpai shook his head, 'But apart from that… Nekoma! Wow, that's amazing, sensei… How did you manage to get them to agree?' he asked sensei.

Sensei laughed to himself, 'Well, it took a lot of persistence on my part. You see I'd heard about the old rivalry between our school and theirs, through the team's coaches.' He said.

Tanaka-senpai nodded, 'We heard a lot about it too. About how they'd play each other all the time. When Karasuno and Nekoma came together to face each other, they'd call it 'the Great Junkyard Showdown'!' he said and I sweat-dropped.

It sounded cool until they mentioned junkyards…

'Was that seriously a major match-up?' Tsukishima-san asked, not sounding impressed.

'But we haven't been able to play them for a while now. Why now? Daichi-senpai asked.

'Like I said, you know I can be persistent when I want to be! Besides I really wanted to stage a _fateful rematch_. I'm positive he'll make a move if we play against Nekoma High School.' Takeda-sensei said cryptically. We looked at him curiously, wondering what exactly our club advisor had planned.

'…Alright. Anyway, guys, let's put our all into this practice game so it doesn't go to waste.' Daichi-senpai said and we all agreed.

Tanaka-senpai smirked, 'Tokyo, huh? Those damned city boys! I'm gonna pulverize them!' he said, and I cringed at his pronunciation. Tsukishima-san found it hilarious though, and proceeded to tease his senpai about it.

I saw Nishinoya-senpai approaching Daichi-senpai and as I was close by, I could hear what they were saying. Nishinoya-senpai told our captain that he wasn't going to participate in the practice match.

'Shoyo's a great guy. And the other freshmen are kind of ruffians but they're all fun. I think this team's gonna shape up into something good. But if I play with you guys without Asahi-san on the team and we win, it'll just cement it in his mind that the team can do without him, and I don't want that.' Nishinoya-senpai said and I widened my eyes, turning to listen fully, 'We've been teammates all this time. I'm sorry for being so selfish!' he added.

Daichi-senpai smiled and put his hands on his waist, 'I understand. But I want you to still come to the training camp with us.' He said and Nishinoya-senpai widened his eyes.

I noticed Hinata running over to them, as Nishinoya-senpai responded, 'Huh, but—' he began but was cut off by Hinata distracting Nishinoya-senpai with a request for another Rolling Thunder demonstration.

As we distracted ourselves and kept ourselves busy, we were left to our own thoughts and to come to our own conclusions about what we should do.

* * *

That night, I got into a video call with Michiko, excited to tell her about how Karasuno would be playing against her school's boys volleyball team at the end of Golden Week.

'I heard about that!That's exciting!' she said with a big grin and I blinked at her in surprise; 'Oh, Haiba, you know that half I was telling you about! He was complaining to me about how he won't get to play in that one. He was whining about how another 1st year was gonna get to play but the captain refused to let him on until he could actually block a ball properly, haha!' Michiko laughed.

'Ohh, I see.' I nodded, smiling.

'Ahh, I'm jealous! I totally want to be there to see what Karasuno's team is like! And to see Moeka-chan in person again, too…!' Michiko whined, slumping on her desk, and I smiled sympathetically to her.

'I really want to see you again too.' I said.

Suddenly, she shot back up into a sitting position, looking inspired, which caught me off guard.

'Micchan…?' I tilted my head curiously.

She grinned mischievously, 'Don't you worry about it, Moeka-chan~! I have a fool-proof plan. Just you wait and see! You won't be disappointed.' she said.

'Huh? What is it?' I asked, surprised.

'Not telling you~! I _said_ that you'll have to wait and see, didn't I?' Michiko laughed, and I could only sigh exasperatedly. What was she up to this time…

* * *

I had to push aside my worries about what sort of trouble Michiko was probably getting herself into over in Tokyo when the next day, Hinata and Kageyama-kun invited me again to seek out Asahi-senpai.

We stood in front of the door to his classroom, where he stood, determined, after we'd pitched our intentions to the tall third year.

'I appreciate the thought, but… Why are you so keen on having me even though we've never practiced together before?' Asahi-senpai asked the boys.

'Because if you won't come back, the other senpai won't cheer up!' Hinata explained emphatically and Kageyama-kun jabbed him in the side to get him to keep quiet.

'You're too loud.' He said to Hinata, who held his side. I sweat-dropped and held him up.

Asahi-senpai laughed a little, 'You guys are pretty funny, huh? But I really am sorry. I've lost my ability to visualize what it's like to break through those high blockers in my way. I'm positive I'll be shut out. It freaks me out and fills my head with thoughts of self-destruction.' Asahi-senpai explained to us calmly and clearly.

I frowned, understanding what he was talking about. I'd had thoughts a little like this as well, after our loss last year, and I know Michiko had had her share of them too. Self-doubt, and blaming yourself… it really gets you nowhere. But getting back up after being knocked down like that – that takes someone truly strong.

I'd strayed away from that myself, in a way, though I never really told myself it was like that.

I told myself that it's because I couldn't picture myself on a team that didn't have Michiko on it…!

I told myself that I wanted to help Hinata achieve his dreams this year, so that's why I didn't join the girls' team…!

Deep down, I knew there was also a part of me that was afraid of failing again in high school. I'd never had any real confidence in my own volleyball.

Whenever Hinata praised me in any way, I felt like I didn't truly deserve as much as I got…I wasn't as good as he said. Nowhere near as good a Setter as Kageyama-kun, or Oikawa-san, or Suga-senpai.

In the end… Asahi-senpai and I…

'We have that in common.' I suddenly said, and everyone looked at me in surprise. I turned red in embarrassment. Did I really say that out loud…!?

'Mogami-san…?' Hinata looked at me in surprise and I averted my eyes, a little ashamed.

'A-Asahi-senpai… I can get where you're coming from. I-In my last year of middle school, I was the Setter for my team and they were all relying on me in a big game. We tried our hardest, but no matter what we tried, we were dominated. I-I… also started to doubt my worth as a Setter. And right now, in a way, I'm running away as well. But… if we run away from something that's a little scary, then it won't get us anywhere. One day… I want to stop running away…! Senpai, y-you can do it too!' I told Asahi-senpai, and they all looked at me with wide eyes.

'A-Ah… that…' Asahi-senpai was at a loss for what to say.

'T-This may sound cocky coming from a pipsqueak freshman like me, but I just have to say it!' Hinata said and the boys attention shifted from me onto him. I hid my face, which was burning red from embarrassment.

I'd been more honest with myself than I'd imagined I could be, since that game last year…and I'd said it in front of Hinata and Kageyama-kun too…! It's so embarrassing…

'What is it?' Asahi-senpai asked Hinata.

'I also know what you mean. I'm short and I don't have any technical skill so I kept getting stopped by blockers. But now I can get passed high blockers thanks to his tosses!" Hinata said, pointing to Kageyama-kun, 'The blockers all fade away, and the other side of the net opens up to me! And when the ball hits my hand at the highest point, the weight of it kind of goes into my hand. I love that!' he said enthusiastically, 'I'm jealous of you, Asahi-san. Right now, I don't have the height or the power to break through blockers, but you do. I know you've been blocked a lot until now, but you've scored more times than you've been blocked, haven't you? That's why they call you the Ace!' Hinata said, and Asahi-senpai's eyes widened in realisation.

It was then that the bell signifying the end of break rang, snapping us out of it. Kageyama-kun told us we should be getting back and I nodded quietly, beginning to go along with him; I uncertainly looked back to Asahi-senpai, who looked thoughtful. Hinata eventually followed after us, and Kageyama-kun paused, looking back.

'Excuse me… It's only natural that you can't win by yourself. That's why there are six people on the court. I only learned that myself the other day so I can't talk big about it… Excuse me.' He finished, and came to join us in leaving.

As we walked back to our classrooms, I felt Kageyama-kun's curious eyes on me, and I tried to ignore it, my cheeks still flushed pink.

I looked at Hinata's back, walking up ahead of us, wondering what he was thinking right now.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Did I just…write character development for Moeka? Well, that wasn't planned I assure you, but I really like how it came out. What do you think?**

 **Also, Merry Christmas in advance! Right now, it's less than a day away, I can't believe it! I hope you all get everything you wanted for Christmas. This is** _ **my**_ **gift to you guys, so I hope that you liked it!**


	20. 20 The Ace VS The Decoy

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 20 – The Ace VS The Decoy.**

That afternoon, at after-school practice, we were in for a surprise from Takeda-sensei. It seemed that while we'd all been concerned about things like the Nekoma game in Golden Week and the problem with Asahi-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai, sensei had been working on something…or rather someone for us, behind-the-scenes.

Today, sensei introduced us to a tall man in his twenties, with bleach-blond hair pulled back with a hairband and a noticeable dark natural hair colour noticeable by his sideburns. He was dressed in a set of red sports sweats, with yellow stripes down the side, over a white shirt.

And judging by the looks on the boys' faces, he was a familiar face, though I can't say I'd seen him before myself…

'Everyone! Allow me to introduce you to your new coach, as of today. Ukai Keishin.' Takeda-sensei introduced.

We all just stared back in response, not sure what to say.

Daichi-senpai stepped forward, 'Coach? Do you mean it!?' he asked, shocked.

Ukai-san turned to us, 'Only up until your match with Nekoma High School.' He said.

'Eh? But he's the guy who runs the Sakanoshita store! This guy's gonna be our coach?' Tanaka-senpai asked, confused. Oh. So that's where they know this guy? I'd never actually gone inside yet.

'He's actually your senpai, a former alumni of this school and team, and is the grandson of the famous Coach Ukai Ikkei.' Sensei explained.

'What!?' everyone cried out, surprised.

'But isn't your store called Sakanoshita?! I mean, sir?!' Hinata asked Ukai-san.

'The store comes from my Mom's side of the family. Anyway, there's no time. Let's get started!' Ukai-san explained, and suddenly got serious, 'I want to see how you guys play so we have a game at 6:30.' He suddenly announced and everyone widened their eyes.

A match completely out of the blue!?

'I already called in your opponents. The Karasuno Neighbourhood Association team.' Ukai-san told us with a smirk, 'Well, what're you waiting for? Get started on your warm-ups. I'll watch from here.' He said and we all jumped to attention.

'Ossu!'

* * *

Everyone got right into practicing after that. The match was at 6:30 so that gave everyone at least an hour to continue with their practice.

Everyone was doing well in practice as usual, but there was a slightly noticeable tension of anticipation; wondering what kind of opponents they'd find in the Neighborhood Association team.

Eventually, the time came close, and some older guys around the same age as Ukai-san started arriving at the gym.

First to arrive was a man with straight black hair and glasses. After that, another guy with bleach-blonde hair and darker natural hair peeking out from underneath arrived, along with a couple others.

They made grand show of introducing themselves and Ukai-san went over to greet them and we watched curiously.

'Okay, let's get this thing started!' Ukai-san said, and looked over to where Nishinoya-senpai were standing, 'You there, will you keep scores?' he asked me and I nodded; 'And you. What's the matter?' he asked Nishinoya-senpai and I paused, looking back at the two of them.

Nishinoya-senpai flinched, and Daichi-senpai stepped in, 'I'm sorry, he's not ready.' He said.

'What, is he injured or sick?' Ukai-san asked Daichi-senpai.

'Uhm, no, it's just…' Daichi-senpai trailed off.

'Not injured then? I dunno what the deal is, but you, join the Neighborhood Association's team. Our Libero had work and couldn't show up.' Ukai-san said.

Nishinoya-senpai looked hesitant, but after a moment, he agreed to go. That's when I noticed someone peeking in from the gym's door, near where I was setting up the scoreboard.

'Oh, Asahi-senpai…!' I gasped, smiling to him. He jumped a little, and nervously smiled and waved.

Then, Hinata noticed him too, and loudly announced his presence. Everyone turned to look to him in shock, and Asahi-senpai quickly started trying to run away.

'Ah, senpai, w-wait…!' I cried out to him, reaching out.

'You! What's your position?!' Ukai-san said, marching over to Asahi-senpai who looked like he wanted to disappear into a black hole or something at being caught.

'U-Uhm… wing spiker…' he mumbled hesitantly to Ukai-san, who thankfully, heard it.

'Great, you're just what we needed. Get your sports gear on now, and join the game. Make it snappy!' Ukai-san nodded resolutely, and Asahi-senpai paled.

'W-Wh-What? But wait, I'm not…!' he stammered, but despite his shaky protests, he still returned to the gym, this time in his volleyball gear. I smiled and nodded to him as he nervously entered the gym.

'Now, all we need is another Setter. I want to do it myself, but I need to watch from the side…' Ukai-san muttered.

'Ah, we actually have two Setters on the team, sir! Suga-senpai and Kageyama-kun.' I called out to the older man.

Suga-senpai stepped up, volunteering himself, 'If it's alright with you, I can take the Neighborhood Association team's side.' He said, and our senpai looked at him astonished.

'Sugawara-san! You're not just bowing out for my sake, are you? If rising in the ranks comes at your expense then I don't want it.' Kageyama-kun said to Suga-senpai, who frowned.

'This whole time, I was prepared to fight you for the position of Official Setter. But after you joined, I felt…relieved somehow. The Setter is the team's attack axis. The Setter must be steadfast. But I was too freaked out to toss properly. I was so afraid of submitting the spiker to block after block because of my tosses that I hid in the shadows of Kageyama's overwhelming talent. It was comfortable there. The thought of a spike being blocked again still scares me. But…!' Suga-senpai said, and then turned to Asahi-senpai, 'Please, let me throw a toss for your one more time, Asahi!' he added.

So it's not just Asahi-senpai and I that feel these kind of things, but Suga-senpai as well…! Maybe…this is an insecurity that everyone feels…?

Maybe a lot of people can clear an obstacle like this with effort, like Suga-senpai is trying to right now… if that's so, what's stopping me from trying the same.

Ahh… like I thought, it's still really scary.

Suga-senpai is really strong…!

'That's why I'm going on this side. And Kageyama…?' Suga-senpai said and Kageyama-kun paid attention, 'I'm not going to lose.' He said simply to the black haired first year, with a confident smile.

I sighed out, retreating slightly into my thoughts for a little while, and as the boys set up for their match, I just barely noticed Shimizu-senpai coming to join me by the scoreboard.

She asked if I was okay and I reassured her I was fine, and that I just had some things on my mind, which was true.

But right now, I needed to pay attention to the game about to take place.

* * *

The match had already been underway for a few minutes, and each team had scored a single point against each other so far. It was interesting, finally getting to see Suga-senpai playing as Setter in an actual match.

He wasn't as fast as Kageyama-kun, or as intense as Oikawa-san, but his Setting was still really good. You could tell that his tosses were really easy for a spiker to hit.

As I observed Suga-senpai in action, he tossed the ball for one of the NA team's guys, who scored another point, and went to compliment senpai, who smiled and thanked him for his kind words.

On the other side of the court, Hinata seemed impressed, and Daichi-senpai seemed proud, bragging about his vice-captain.

Nishinoya-senpai approached Suga-senpai, and complimented on his toss too.

'Ah, thanks! Although it's only because they're adjusting their team play for my benefit.' Suga-senpai modestly said with a light laugh, 'They really are veteran players…My tossing still needs work.' he said, glancing at some of the older NA players.

'We need to keep using fast attacks and play hardball or the game will ride on the ace again, like before.' Suga-senpai said and I unconsciously sighed out, watching him.

'Suga-san, you've gotten really cool.' Nishinoya-senpai commented, voicing what I'd been thinking to myself out loud.

'What? You think so? That's kinda awesome coming from you.' Suga-senpai said.

'Huh? Why?' Nishinoya-senpai blinked at him.

'You know…' Suga-senpai laughed.

…

The match continued on for a while, and eventually, Kageyama-kun and Hinata's Quick toss started showing up, surprising the NA team players and Ukai-san. Takeda-sensei seemed to be excitedly nudging Ukai-san for a reaction.

'Nice one! Hinata! Kageyama!' Daichi-senpai called out, followed by another nice from Tanaka-senpai, to which Hinata preened.

I glanced to look at Asahi-senpai, who also seemed stunned by the Quick attack. He seemed to be pretty deep in thought. Like, _really_ deep in thought. What was he thinking about…?

'Hinata, you're up to serve next.' Kageyama-kun said, handing the ball to Hinata, who went to get into position.

'I do want to.' Asahi-senpai suddenly said, catching everyone off guard; senpai clenched his fists and continued, 'No matter how many times I run up against it, I do want to hit it one more time.' He said with a determination beginning to fill him that I hadn't seen from him yet, though I hadn't known senpai for long at all, yet.

Nishinoya-senpai who had heard Asahi-senpai's words, nodded, and got into position; 'That's all that matters.' He said calmly; there was a calm but pleased smile on his face, 'That's all I needed to hear.' He added, and it was like a switch was flipped in senpai.

For the first time since the match had started, it felt like Nishinoya-senpai was ready to give it everything he had as he got into the receiving position.

Hinata did his serve and after bouncing off the net, it fell to the other side only to be bumped back up by the NA team's guys, and it was sent towards Asahi-senpai.

'Man-bun, it's your ball!' one called out to Asahi-senpai, who still looked slightly unsure about it, but nevertheless, went for it. _Bam!_ The blockers hands went back at the force of the spike, but still managed to block it.

But Nishinoya-senpai dived in and expertly sent the ball back up, and as Tanaka-senpai got emotional, Nishinoya-senpai stood back up, speaking; 'I'm going to keep that ball in play even if it rebounds off their wall. So please, call for a toss again! Ace!' he cried out to Asahi-senpai who bit his lip.

Suga-senpai got into position to toss, his head whirling with decisions of who to toss to, when Kageyama-kun called out to him.

'Suga-san! Keep sending it to him until he gets one through!' he said to Suga-senpai, whose eyes widened. My eyes widened too, and then I smiled. To think Kageyama-kun was encouraging the 'opposing' team. These last few weeks have really changed him from the guy I saw last year who was desperate to pummel Hinata's team into the ground despite their obvious lead…

'SUGAAAAAAAAAA!' a sudden… w- _war cry_ scared me out so thoroughly that I yelped and nearly stumbled, steadying myself against the scoreboard. I turned to look for the source of it, barely hearing Shimizu-senpai's voice, and discovered it to be…

Asahi-senpai….!

He called for a toss!

'Send me one more!' Asahi-senpai added, still shouting.

As if in reaction, Suga-senpai had immediately tossed to Asahi, who ran towards the net surging with a newfound drive, and he took to the air, delivering a devastating spike that burst through the gaps between the blockers arms, scoring a point.

'What a sound! It went…Kaboom!' Takeda-sensei cried out, amazed.

And really… it was amazing. It surely must've been scary for Asahi-senpai, but even still, he really went for it! And he did it!

'Nice! Nice Asahi! You too, Nishinoya!' Suga-senpai complimented.

'You guys too. Nice toss, Suga. Nice receive, Nishinoya.' Asahi-senpai shyly nodded to them, and they grinned up at him.

I then overheard Kageyama-kun talking to Hinata, 'Oi, don't go getting intimidated now! You're the one who said he wanted to be Ace.' He said, and I looked over to them.

'I'm not intimidated! Next time, that'll be me!' Hinata said, determined.

I nodded towards him, though he didn't see me, too focused on the game. That's right, Hinata wants to become an Ace like Asahi-senpai too. I refocused myself on the game, while adding the NA team's new point onto the scoreboard.

'Now that Asahi is back, we're up against both the Ace and veteran players. We're gonna have trouble winning this.' Daichi-senpai said.

Tanaka-senpai looked at him happily, before laughing and saying 'What're you talking about Daichi-san? You've got me on your si—' but he was quickly cut off by Hinata.

'You've got me on your side!' Hinata exclaimed excitedly, pointing to himself, to which Tanaka-senpai complained.

They continued to chat for a few more moments, and then jumped right back into the game. They could afford to do these kind of talks, since it wasn't an official match. It was good, because it allowed for Suga-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai to encourage Asahi-senpai, and the tall brunet was slowly getting back into the swing of things thanks to that.

The match was pretty normal for a while, until Kageyama-kun decided to do another one of his pinpoint tosses to Hinata again, who hit the ball without looking as usual.

As Shimizu-senpai put in the new point for Hinata's team, I looked around and saw the stunned expressions of Nishinoya-senpai, Asahi-senpai, the NA team's guys, and even Coach Ukai as well.

'That's amazing, Shōyō! What was that!? I couldn't help but stop and stare!' Nishinoya-senpai gushed at Hinata, who blushed and rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

'BOY!' Coach Ukai suddenly shouted at Hinata, shocking both him and myself. Hinata turned to face the bleach-blond haired man; 'Why did you jump over there just now, huh!?' he asked Hinata.

'B-Because the toss will come to me no matter where I am…sir.' Hinata nervously answered.

Coach Ukai got quiet for a moment, taking in what Hinata had just said, before speaking again, 'What are you guys, freaks!?' he cried, and Hinata and Kageyama-kun flinched.

'F-Freaks…?' they mumbled to each other.

'What was that…?' Hinata asked Kageyama-kun.

'No clue…' Kageyama-kun returned, while Tsukishima-san laughed at them; 'Oi, Tsukishima! Wipe that smirk off your face!' Kageyama-kun snapped at him, but was ignored.

As the match continued on, I overheard Coach Ukai talking to sensei.

'I have no idea what they were discussing before the game,' he started, 'That first year Setter has to be what they call a genius - normal players pale in comparison to him. The one breath between the toss and the spike. It can only achieved over time with lots of training. Their bond of trust cannot be built in a day. So if the first year Setter's weapon is overwhelming talent, then that means our weapon is accumulated trust and stability….' He said, and then smirked, clenching his fists, 'Karasuno ain't such a bad team! You should have told me sooner, sensei!' he said, and slapped sensei's back hard enough to make him stumble.

I chuckled behind my hand at that, as sensei coughed a little.

'I did tell you, many times!' he told Coach Ukai.

'And who would've thought that runt could be a Middle Blocker? His fast attacks are impressive but how does he block?' he asked.

'Oh, that's right! This game is Hinata's showdown against his dream, Ace!' Takeda-sensei nodded, and Coach blinked at him.

I decided to speak up, finally, 'It's Hinata-kun's dream to become the Ace of a team! It's been his goal ever since he saw a Karasuno player nicknamed 'The Small Giant' playing years ago at the Highschool Nationals on TV! It's also the reason he picked this school, by the way.' I explained to the man.

'Ohh, I see. And you are…?' he asked me, taken aback.

'I'm a friend of Hinata-kun's from Middle School, sir! Also, I'm an assistant manager here. Mogami Moeka.' I said, tipping my head in a bow.

He nodded back, 'Right. Ukai Keishin.' He returned; 'So that Kageyama… is he also from the same Middle School as you two?' he asked and I blinked at him in surprise.

'Eh? No, he's not.' I said, startled at the idea, 'Kageyama-kun went to Kitagawa Daiichi, Hinata-kun and I are from Yukigaoka.' I added.

Takeda-sensei smiled, 'I think I get why you asked that. It's because of how in synch they seem right now, right?' he asked Coach, who nodded, 'They've actually just come together for high school. In middle school they were bitter rivals, at least, that's what I've heard.' He revealed.

I nodded, 'Hinata-kun came to Karasuno hoping to beat Kageyama-kun, but they've learnt to come together, instead. And it's really amazing!' I agreed.

Coach Ukai took all this in, and looked back to the ongoing match with a look of amazement, 'If that's the case then those two could become something amazing…' he murmured.

I smiled and nodded. That's exactly what I thought too!

* * *

Despite how amazing the Kageyama-Hinata combination was, the NA team took the first set. Hinata turned to Kageyama-kun,

'The Ace is so cool! It doesn't matter if they're blocking or not, 'cause he can blast through 'em anyway!' he said, and Kageyama-kun only frowned at him, 'What is it?' he asked.

'Nothing…' Kageyama-kun just walked away from him.

The second set carried on, the points being really close together. But despite Hinata's earlier enthusiasm, now he seemed really distracted, from what I could see where I was standing.

'Come on, Hinata-kun… Keep your eyes on the ball…!' I muttered under my breath, clenching my fists and furrowing my brows.

'Is something the matter with him?' Shimizu-senpai asked, tilting her head.

'Well—' I was cut off, when my suspicions were confirmed by Hinata taking one of Asahi-senpai's spikes to the face. As Hinata fell back stunned, with a red face, everyone including myself cried out in surprise and concern.

Everyone was running over to him and I hesitantly glanced over to Shimizu-senpai as everyone crowded around Hinata; Shimizu-senpai silently nodded to me, allowing me to go.

With that, I grabbed some supplies from my bag like cooling pads, and sprinted over. As I arrived, he was pulling himself up to sit.

'Hinata-kun…! Are you okay?! What were you thinking!?' I asked him, taking out a cooling pad and pressing it against his throbbing forehead, to which he hissed and shied away. I grabbed the back of his head and held it in place.

'Anyway you look at it, it's his own fault for standing there like that.' Tsukishima-san commented, rolling his eyes. Or at least I imagined he was, since my attention was elsewhere.

'M-Mogami-san, that's cold…! I'm f-fine okay?' Hinata said, cheeks red, as he pulled away.

Asahi-senpai approached, shaking like a leaf, 'I-I'm so sorry, are you okay!?' he asked Hinata.

'I'm okay! I-I'm sorta used to taking it in the face…!' Hinata insisted.

'That's not something you should be used to…!" both Suga-senpai and I said, sweat-dropping at Hinata. Hinata just laughed nervously, before suddenly looking pale when he noticed something behind Suga-senpai. I turned to look, and flinched at what I saw.

Kageyama-kun looked angry…

'What were you daydreaming about during a game?' he ground out, annoyed. Hinata flinched and backed away, afraid, 'I know what you're thinking.' Kageyama-kun added, surprising Hinata; 'Being the Ace is cool. Being a decoy can't be my best weapon. That's stupid and lame. You wish you were as tall and powerful as Azumane so you could be the Ace!' he said.

'I-I don't think that way…!' Hinata denied, but I could see where Kageyama-kun was coming from. Hinata probably did have those thoughts. 'M…. Most of the time.' Hinata relented. Ah, there it was.

I sighed, and smiled at how easy to read Hinata appeared to be for Kageyama-kun. They were really on the way to becoming great partners some day… sometimes even I'm not sure what Hinata's thinking _all_ of the time, though he does have his easy-to-read moments.

Like right now for example.

'Now that you know there's an Ace, you not only dream about being him… you're also jealous of him!' Kageyama-kun added, raising his voice, and Hinata widened his eyes, while Asahi-senpai looked to Hinata at hearing that; 'Clear your head of distracting nonsense like that during a game!' he said.

Hinata looked conflicted, 'What's wrong with being jealous? You've always been tall, so you could never know what it's like!' he said, hanging his head and clenching his fists.

Oh… could this be another argument…? I thought they were past that…

'Hey, Volleyball club! It's time to shut it down. You need to put all of this away.' Another teacher suddenly showed up at the door to the gym, and Takeda-sensei went to talk to him. I then noticed how dark it had gotten already. How long had this match been going…?

Takeda-sensei came back to us, confirming that this set had to be the last one. Pushing aside any tension between Kageyama-kun and Hinata for the moment, the match continued. The current score was 12-08 to the NA team.

'This looks like it's the strongest rotation for the high school team. We'll have to watch out for that shorty.' Said one of the NA team's players, the one with bleached hair.

Kageyama-kun spoke up, 'Ahem! My next toss will be to him! Please block it with all that you have.' he said, brazenly pointing to Hinata, surprising everyone again. To advertise an attack like that, Kageyama-kun must have confidence in whatever his plan to turn this around was…!

'What's this, a dare?' the NA member asked him in response and Kageyama-kun just nodded. The older guy just laughed, 'Huh, you're a funny guy! Okay! Let's do this dare!' he said with a smile.

Coach Ukai seemed to expressing the same disbelief that I was experiencing in words, but we all watched to see how Kageyama-kun's 'plan' would work out.

'Right now, you're nothing but a klutzy idiot who happens to be fast and can jump high. You'll never be an Ace.' Kageyama-kun suddenly said and I widened my eyes. What did he just say…!?

'…But as long as I'm around…you'll be invincible!' he added, and I paused.

…Wow. What a line. And here I thought Kageyama-kun was going to start putting Hinata down again… Kageyama-kun keeps surprising me with his unconventional pep-talks…!

'Azumane-san's spikes are so forceful, he can cut through a triple block. Now what about you? When I throw you a toss, have you ever been stopped by blockers?' Kageyama-kun asked Hinata, and left it like that, for Hinata to think.

Letting the tension that had built up in my shoulders sift away, I watched as the match continued.

Kageyama-kun had already advertised that he was going to toss to Hinata, so the blockers all gathered to mark him. As Hinata hesitated, Kageyama-kun shouted, 'Evade it…!' to him and Hinata blinked, as if it just came to him.

He rushed for the net and the blockers prepared, but they were caught off guard when at the last moment, Hinata changed directions and sped to the other end of the court, and jumped up, spiking the ball sent his way.

It bounced off Nishinoya-senpai's arm, and out of the court.

'You're not the Ace! But with your speed and jumping power and my tosses, you can take on any blockers! The Ace blasts through for a point. You evade for a point. A point is a point! You don't need the title of Ace! You can score more points than the Ace! That's why our opponents will be marking you, freeing up our other spikers thanks to your decoy skills!' Kageyama-kun said confidently, Including the Ace! Right!?' he turned to the senpai, who jumped in shock at suddenly being spoken to.

'Y-Yeah, that's right! Your decoy work drastically affects our success rate.' Tanaka-senpai nodded in agreement.

'Do you still think that your job is uncool?!' Kageyama-kun asked Hinata, and I finally got what he was trying to show Hinata, and smiled widely.

Man… we have a lot of really cool guys on the team today…!

'I don't…' Hinata uttered out, after looking at his hand thoughtfully, and Kageyama-kun asked him to speak up, 'I don't think it's uncool!' he repeated, louder.

'Good!' Kageyama-kun nodded, satisfied.

Hinata turned to face Asahi-senpai with a thoughtful look, and the taller boy sighed and smiled.

'That last hit was incredible.' He told Hinata, who brightened right up at that compliment. He and Kageyama-kun then apologised to the captain for interrupting the game again.

The game didn't last for much longer anyway, the scoreboards points having already been in the 20s for the NA team anyway. Despite everything, the NA team had won, but I think that Karasuno's players gained a lot from this match today anyway.

As the Neighborhood Association team packed up and began heading off for the night, I went over to where Asahi-senpai was standing, wiping off sweat with a towel as he took a drink.

'Asahi-senpai…?' I asked, looking up to him with a smile.

I blinked down at me, before getting a little shy, 'A-Ah, yes? Mogami-san, was it?' he asked. I nodded my head.

'I wanted to say congratulations for today.' I told him.

'Huh? For winning the game…? B-But that wasn't all me, it was the Neighbourhood Association guys t-too, and…' he said modestly, trying to brush off his success.

'I didn't mean that…! Well, congratulations for that as well. But I wanted to say congratulations on making it back onto the team.' I said.

He blinked, surprised, 'Huh?'

'It was scary to get back on the court, right…? But you didn't run away. You did it…! Asahi-senpai… maybe you're a stronger person than you initially thought?' I asked him, and his cheeks became red.

Someone suddenly patted my back really roughly and I yelped, turning to see Nishinoya-senpai grinning widely at me.

'Right?' he cheered, 'Asahi's pretty cool, huh?!' he asked happily.

'H-Huh? W-Wait, I'm not…!' Asahi-senpai tried to deny it.

'Yes! Asahi-senpai was super cool today, especially when he called out for that toss!' I agreed.

'Yeah!' Nishinoya-senpai agreed, and started laughing loudly, while Asahi-senpai continued to try to deny the praise, thoroughly embarrassed. I grinned widely, and laughed a little too.

All of our senpai in the Karasuno Volleyball Club are so kind, cool, and strong! I'm so happy to be able to support them…!

* * *

 **Onigiriri:** Here it is, the last update of 2016! I hope it came out okay, I'm very sick right now but I powered through to bring you this last chapter for this year. In the process of writing this, I kinda came to appreciate Asahi all over again. I really like that loveable gentle giant…!

I hope you liked this chapter! I'm off to Scotland to visit relatives for New Years either tomorrow or the day after! See you guys in 2017! Hopefully it'll be a better year than this one has been. :)


	21. 21 The Big City Cats

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It is owned by _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 21 – The Big City Cats**

With Asahi-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai rejoining the team after being away, and with the addition of our (Temporary as he liked to put it) Coach, Ukai-san, it felt like the Karasuno Boys' Club finally had all of its pieces. Now all that was left was to make sure they were all working together correctly.

The practice game during Golden Week against the Volleyball club of Michiko's school Nekoma High School would be a great place for a field test run, so to speak.

And the time for that match had come around rather quickly, time flying due to the many practice sessions the team had.

But first came Golden Week, and with it came the club's first training camp of the year!

We all stood in the club's gym, the boys gathered around Coach Ukai and Shimizu-senpai, Takeda-sensei and I standing to the side to watch as he addressed them.

'The practice game against Nekoma takes place in four days. After that, it'll be time for the Inter-High. There's no time, and you guys are full of weak spots.' Coach Ukai told them honestly, 'There's only one thing to do in order for you slobs to win. Practice! Practice! Practice! Keep receiving that ball until you throw up!' he said, and the boys all nodded in agreement, baring determined expressions on their faces.

And with that short talk over with, the afternoon's practice finally began. They started with receiving practice, and Coach Ukai had them keep going until they bumped back up at least 5 balls successfully. After that, he had them all move on to Spiking practice. With a Coach like Ukai-san around, practice seemed to be feeling more and more structured and with every activity, Shimizu-senpai and I were there to assist our Coach.

* * *

At the end of practice, everyone gathered together his or her things, which was a bit more than usual this time. After all, it was the start of their training camp and having gotten the permission all sorted out with all of our parents, we'd all be staying together while the boys had an extensive week-long training camp.

I would be staying with Shimizu-senpai as she lived nearby, which was a little nerve-wracking, but exciting. I'd only ever had sleep-overs with my best friend Michiko before this, but Shimizu-senpai and she were completely different from each other so I wasn't sure what to expect.

On the topic of Michiko; ever since I'd had that one video-call with her a few days ago where I'd first talked to her about this training camp and the practice match with her school, she's definitely been keeping some kind of big secret from me, that she refused to let me in on.

I can't say it hadn't been bothering me. Michiko does like her secrets and surprises, but I hate being left out of the loop for something like this.

I pouted to myself, cheeks puffed, as I walked up to the place where the boys would be staying for the training camp. We were all going to make and eat dinner together as a team bonding exercise.

'Eh? What's with that sour expression?' Tsukishima-san's voice surprised me, and I craned my neck up to look at him. He was glancing down at me nonchalantly, hands pocketed. Yamaguchi-san was at his side.

'Oh, was I making a weird face…?' I asked them.

'That's an understatement.' Tsukishima-san responded.

Yamaguchi-san leaned over curiously, 'Is something on your mind? Oh! C-Could it be that you're worried about sleeping in the same building as us guys…?' Yamaguchi-san asked me.

'Ohh, so you're getting ecchi thoughts? Hoping for something to happen?' Tsukishima-san smirked at the thought.

I blushed, 'No way, don't jump to conclusions! I'm actually staying with Shimizu-senpai at her house. It's near to here.' I informed them.

At this, Tsukishima-san seemed to lose a bit of interest, and he sighed.

'Eh, really?' Yamaguchi-san asked.

'Those two air-headed senpai are going to cry when they hear.' Tsukishima-san commented, imagining it, 'Someone else, too,' he added cryptically, and for some reason looked over to an excitable Hinata, who was ooh-ing and ahh-ing a little ways away from us.

Eh? Hinata would cry? Whatever for…? I think he'd be too excited to play volleyball to think about sleeping arrangements.

'Anyway, so was something on your mind? If it wasn't _that_.' Yamaguchi-san asked.

'Ah, it's not much. Just that my friend Michiko, the one who's going to Nekoma, has been keeping some big secret from me, and it's bothering me that she's keeping me out of the loop. Hey, do you guys ever keep secrets from each other?' I asked the two of them.

'Oh, well…' Yamaguchi-san looked like he didn't want to comment on that.

Tsukishima-san merely shrugged, 'We don't need to know everything about each other, do we?' he said easily.

'Eh? Wh-What does that mean, Tsukki?' Yamaguchi-san blinked at his friend.

'It's a _secret_ , right?' Tsukishima-san drawled, and Yamaguchi-san continued to blink confusedly at the things his friend was saying. I for one, was also rather confused.

Tsukishima-san walked ahead of us, leaving me with Yamaguchi-san.

'That was kind of weird.' I commented.

Yamaguchi-san laughed awkwardly, 'A little. Anyway, maybe your friend is keeping it a secret for a reason, but not a personal one? I don't think you should get too hung up on it, Mogami-san.' He said, giving me a shy smile.

I smiled back and nodded, 'Yeah, we've all gotta focus on making this training camp a productive one, eh?' I agreed, and he nodded too. With that, we went to catch up with everyone inside.

When we got inside, we heard Tsukishima-san up ahead complaining about having to share a room with a bunch of sweaty people.

Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai were scolding him.

'All air within a quarter mile radius of Kiyoko-san and Moeka-chan will never smell bad!' they yelled in unison at the tall blond, who clicked his tongue at his noisy senpai.

'Ah, you guys didn't hear yet? Shimizu lives nearby, so she gets to go home when the day's all done.' Suga-senpai said and the two second-years froze in surprise.

I nodded at that statement, and Yamaguchi-san spoke up, 'Yeah, Mogami-san was just telling Tsukki and I that she's going with senpai as well.' He added.

Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai turned to look at where Yamaguchi-san and I were standing, or more specifically, at me. They looked crushed.

I felt kind of bad…

'Sorry, were you guys excited? It's just that when Shimizu-senpai offered it to me, I was happy and couldn't exactly refuse her.' I told them apologetically.

They look at me, teary eyed, and shook their heads.

'It's all right, Moeka-chan! I would have done the same thing!' Nishinoya-senpai admitted.

'Actually, I'm a little jealous.' Tanaka-senpai also admitted.

'Hey, what're you guys admitting to?!' Suga-senpai said exasperatedly. I laughed a little awkwardly at the conversation we were having.

'I'm going ahead.' I said, tucking my head in a bow and leaving the boys to…whatever they were doing. From there, I went towards where the signs said the kitchen was, and joined Shimizu-senpai and Takeda-sensei, who I was assisting in making dinner with, 'Sorry, I'm the last one here…!' I said, taking off my coat and grabbing an apron.

'Not at all. Can you chop these, for me?' Takeda-sensei said, directing me to some vegetables and I nodded.

After a while, the boys filtered into the kitchen, and our second-year senpai cheered up a little when they saw that Shimizu-senpai and I were making them dinner.

They kept hovering around the kitchen, commenting on the smells wafting from the cooking pots. It was a little bit distracting, but sensei, Shimizu-senpai and I all managed to make an appetizing curry for everyone, with enough for leftovers.

We sat down to a delicious meal together as a team, and when it was over, Shimizu-senpai and I bid the boys farewell for the night and made our way towards her house.

Shimizu-senpai must've noticed my nerves creeping up, somehow, and looked to me with a smile;

'There's no need to worry. My parents already know you're coming.' She told me and I looked to her.

'O-Oh, um, was I that obvious…?' I asked.

'Only a little. Would you like to use the bath first, tonight?' she asked me.

'Ehh, can I?' I asked, surprised and she nodded, 'Then, thank you!' I replied. With that little exchange, the rest of the walk to Shimizu-senpai's house, though it was a quiet one, wasn't an uncomfortable one.

* * *

As offered to me, I took a bath first after greeting Shimizu-senpai's mother and father and thanking them for their hospitality, and indulged in a relaxing soak.

After toweling myself try and bundling my hair up in a towel wrap, I checked my phone, to see I'd had a missed call from Michiko.

I quickly hit the green phone icon by her contact, and put my phone to my ear. After a few phone dial tones, the call connected, and it sounded pretty noisy wherever Michiko was.

' _Hiya, Moeka-chan! I tried calling you just a little while ago, where were you?_ ' Michiko asked me.

'Sorry, I was in the bath. Did you need to talk to me about something?' I asked, and then heard a bunch of guys voices in the background; it sounded like they were asking who Michiko was talking to; 'Eh, Micchan, are you with other people right now? I can call back.' I said, worried that I'd interrupted something.

' _No, no, it's totally fine! Just some overly curious strays, don't mind them!_ ' Michiko insisted and I clearly heard a guy's voice.

 _Ehhh, that's not very nice to say,_ I think the guy's voice said.

' _This is a private conversation~ Okay, I'm leaving the room. Hopefully, they won't follow me._ ' Michiko said, and I heard a door closing; she must have left the room she was in, ' _Anyway, how're things going? Karasuno's training camp just started up, right?_ ' she asked me.

'Yeah, it was the first day today. And after practice, my senpai and our club advisor made curry for everyone. It was super yummy.' I nodded.

' _I'll bet it was, with Chez Moeka at the helm~! So are you sharing a bed with Hina—'_ Michiko began slyly.

'Don't you dare finish that sentence, jeez…!' I sighed out and my friend just giggled at me. She's never gonna stop teasing me about Hinata, is she… 'Actually, I'm staying over at senpai's house, you know, the other manager I've mentioned, Shimizu-senpai. I think we're friends now…!' I said.

After all, Shimizu-senpai didn't strike me as the type of person to invite over just anyone to their house. And we get along well, in my opinion. That was good, wasn't it?

'It's the first time I've ever gone to another girl's house apart from yours.' I added thoughtfully.

' _Hey, Moeka-chan?_ ' After calming her giggle-fit down, Michiko asked me, ' _Do you miss our sleepovers?_ ' she asked me. I heard the smile in her voice.

I smiled back too, 'Yeah, I really miss it. I really miss seeing you, face to face, too. You're my best friend after all.' I replied.

' _I really miss you too. And I'm glad you're making friends over there too. Make a bunch more, ok? We'll definitely see each other again soon!'_ Michiko said to me.

'Okay.' I said with a light laugh, curling up on my futon lent to me by Shimizu-senpai. Michiko and I continued to chat for another ten minutes, before those guys' voices appeared again and she had to end the call for the night.

I laid back on my futon with now dry hair, briefly wondering about those guys' voices and what my friend was up to, really, before drifting off to sleep for the night.

* * *

The next day of the training camp came, and the same structure of practice Ukai-san had arranged were carried out; after they'd finished their drills, they set off to do their running.

A little while later, most of them returned, some of them looking a little concerned. I approached the third-years, and asked them what was going on.

Suga-senpai sweat-dropped a little, 'Hinata got a little too enthusiastic about the run, and just bolted ahead of us. He must have gone off the track we'd set and got lost. This isn't an area we're familiar with after all.' He explained.

'Ehh? Hinata-kun got lost!?' I yelped, surprised. Although, it definitely sounds like something Hinata would do.

'I was just about to go out and look for him. Want to come with? Or are you busy with something?' Suga-senpai asked.

'Ah, no, I'm not busy. I'll help!' I said, and Suga-senpai nodded. We waved the other boys good-bye for now, and set off to search for the wayward Hinata.

 _He hadn't gotten too far, surely_ , is what I was thinking to myself as Suga-senpai and I searched the nearby area, calling out for Hinata.

As I investigated another street, Suga-senpai got my attention, saying he'd spotted Hinata.

I followed him down the street, and we saw Hinata up ahead, looking in the opposite direction to us. We ran over to him, calling his name. As we approached him, and he turned to us, I looked down the street to see if I could find what he'd been looking at.

Up ahead of us, as Suga-senpai scolded Hinata for running off, I spotted two guys leaving, wearing red sports jersey. The taller guy had really messily styled black hair, and the shorter one had dyed-blond hair with black roots. The jersey they were wearing though got my attention.

'Eh, who were you talking to just now, Hinata-kun? Those guys over there.' I asked Hinata and he blinked, looking over.

'I dunno who the bigger guy was, he just showed up and then left with Kenma.' He said.

'Kenma?' I repeated curiously.

'Ah, yeah the smaller guy, he plays volleyball too! His name's Kozume Kenma! He said he doesn't really enjoy playing volleyball, but I told him he'd like it more if he got into it.' He said, and looked back at me, 'Why did you wanna know?' he asked me.

'The red jersey's their wearing. They're from Nekoma High School.' I revealed, finally realizing why it was familiar – it sounded like how Michiko had described to me a little while ago. It was red, with white stripes down the pants' sides.

'Ehh, really!?' Hinata gasped, and scrubbed his head, 'Agh, I was talking with our opponents and didn't even know!?' he lamented.

'You didn't see the back of their jacket?' I asked him.

'I didn't get a good angle. He was sitting against the fence the whole time.' Hinata sighed out. I poked the Karasuno symbol on his t-shirt lightly.

'Well, Kozume-san might know that you're from Karasuno.' I said and he looked at the logo.

'Ahh, you're right…! Shoot, I wish I'd asked him more things about his team now…!' Hinata said. Suga-senpai shook his head,

'Well there's no changing that. Let's get back to the others, since there's still a lot more practice to do.' He said, and we nodded, following Suga-senpai back.

Hinata hummed as he walked and I looked at him curiously, 'What's the matter, Hinata-kun?' I asked him.

'It's just Kenma. He said that he didn't like volleyball. That he was just playing it for a high-school club and 'cause his friend wanted him to play it.' He said.

I hummed, finding it familiar, 'It sounds a little like me. Originally, I only started playing volleyball to have something in common with Micchan, and then I kept doing it cause I wanted to help her.' I said.

'Ehh, so did you not enjoy volleyball either then?' Hinata asked, looking shocked.

'Well, I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. I enjoyed it, but I only really started loving it after…' I paused, and blushed suddenly when I realised what I was about to say.

'Eh? After what?' Hinata urged, leaning in slightly.

I stepped away, feeling a little embarrassed, 'N-No, never mind. What's most important is, now, I love volleyball, okay?' I said with a smile, hoping he'd leave it at that.

'Nnnn…. Well, okay.' Hinata conceded, 'I really hope that Kenma'll love playing volleyball, too, soon.' He said, and I nodded, glad he didn't press it.

I looked to my fingers that were hooked together in front of me, hiding my pink cheeks behind my bangs.

Yeah, that's right. I hadn't really put much thought into it, but I only really started to love Volleyball after I met Hinata.

* * *

Over the next two days after that, the training camp cycled through the different training exercises one by one, and yesterday, the last day before the big practice game against Nekoma, Shimizu-senpai and I returned from the dry-cleaners with the boys' official jerseys for playing matches all freshly cleaned.

Kageyama-kun got the 9 jersey, and Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san got the 11 and 12 jerseys respectively.

I remembered the huge ecstatic grin that had spread across Hinata's face when he was given the 10 jersey; the very same jersey that his idol the Small Giant had worn. It was apparently a coincidence, but one that Hinata greatly appreciated.

Thinking back to how excited Hinata had been to get the 10 jersey brought another smile to my face, as we approached the gym for the big match. When we got there, waiting for me was a surprise I wasn't prepared for, but really should have seen coming.

I followed Hinata as he went after Kozume-san at the entrance, 'So you really are in Nekoma?!' he asked the bleach-blond boy.

Demurely, the boy nodded, 'Uh, yeah.' He clarified.

'How come you didn't tell me?' Hinata whined.

'You… never asked me.' Kozume-san shrugged.

'But you said _See you later_! So you must've known something! Did you see my shirt's logo after all…?' Hinata asked Kozume-san, who mutely nodded.

'Hey, hey, hey!' a new voice suddenly interrupted, and a tall, intimidating guy from Nekoma with a buzzcut approached us, pulling a face much like the ones Tanaka-senpai liked to pull.

I quickly moved to stand behind Hinata, unsure what kind of person this guy was.

'So what business do you have with our Setter…?' the guy asked Hinata, not seeing me. I glanced over to the withdrawn Kozume-san. So he was a Setter, too?

In front of me, Hinata began to back away, frightened of the tall guy, until he bumped into me slightly, and jumped, looking back at me in surprise. I just smiled and sweat-dropped nervously, looking back at him.

He seemed to partially steel himself, and turned back to the tall teammate of Kozume-san, 'N-Nothing!' he tried to respond.

Tanaka-senpai joined the conversation, giving an equally aggressive stance, 'What about _you_? What business to you have with our middle-blocker and cutie manager…?!' he asked threateningly.

'Cutie manager…?' the buzzcut guy repeated, blinking, and I hesitantly peeked out from my spot behind Hinata. The guy stared at me for a moment, until his cheeks suddenly turned pink without a word.

'Hey, don't get any funny ideas, ok? She's _our_ cutie manager, you damned City Boy!' Tanaka-senpai said, getting partially in front of me, and also pronouncing the English words incorrectly again.

'Ohh, you wanna go?! W-We've also gotten ourselves a cute manager of our own!' the guy shot back defensively.

'Those're fighting words, there! Wanna rumble?!' Tanaka-senpai returned, and Suga-senpai sighed, approaching us.

'You're gonna rumble in the game we're about to play. And give it a rest with that 'City Boy' talk already.' He said.

Another Nekoma player also approached, agreeing with Suga-senpai. He was a smaller guy, with light brown hair, and brown eyes. He admonished his teammate.

'Yamamoto, stop picking fights all the time. It makes you look stupid.' He told the one called Yamamoto, and turned to Suga-senpai to apologise, 'I apologise on behalf of my embarrassing teammate. Sorry about that!' he said with a good-natured smile, different from the scowl he wore when he told off his teammate.

Suga-senpai smiled, 'Not at all. It's embarrassing for us too.' He said, while a dark aura loomed over Tanaka-senpai and Yamamoto-san.

I had been distracted by the conversation of the boys around me, so when someone suddenly hugged me around the waist from behind, I yelped out without restraint, causing everyone to turn to me.

Hinata seemed to brighten up considerably when he saw who was holding me from behind, 'Ayasato-san!' he cried out and I gasped.

'M-Micchan…!?" I asked, trying to turn to look. The one holding me, my friend Michiko, sighed, and laughing, she let go of me.

'Aww, you ruined it, Hinata~ I was gonna ask her Guess Who, ya know?' she said with a joking tone, as I turned to her. And there she was, dressed in a red and white Nekoma jersey, like the rest of the Nekoma team. Seeing me looking at her in wonder, Michiko grinned widely, 'Surprise~?' she said with an asking tone.

I didn't hide my jubilant smile, and I pulled her into a tight hug, to which she gladly returned.

'Oh my god, is this that surprise you wouldn't tell me about…?! Micchan, you…!' I said breathily, squeezing tight.

'Heheh, I knew you'd like it. In truth, it was kinda hard to hold it back. I thought for sure you'd found me out when you called the other night and heard the guys in the background!' Michiko said, and pulled back.

'Oh, so that's what that was! I'll admit I did wonder about that… but what's with this jersey?' I asked her.

She smirked, and put her hands on her hips, 'You're looking at the Manager for the Nekoma Boys' Volleyball team! See, I told you we'd see each other soon, and I was right!' she replied.

'You certainly were. I-I cant believe you…!' I said with a happy laugh, and pulled her into another quick hug, 'I'm so happy to see you again.' I added and she nodded.

'Me too.' She agreed, as the shorter Nekoma guy approached us with Suga-senpai.

'Oh, so was this that friend of yours you were mentioning, Michiko-san? Mogami, right?' he asked my friend, who nodded.

'Yeah! Her name's Mogami Moeka.' Michiko said and the guy nodded; she gestured to him, 'Moeka-chan, this is Yaku Morisuke, third year and the Libero for Nekoma.' She introduced.

'It's a pleasure.' Yaku-san nodded his head to me, and I tucked my head in a bow for greeting.

'A-Another one…!?' the other Nekoma player, Yamamoto-san suddenly shouted, scaring me. We all turned to see him sputtering and pointing as Shimizu-senpai approached the entrance.

'A-Another… female manager…!' he added, wobbling as he stepped backwards. Two other Nekoma players pumped their fists as if in celebration.

'Sweet! They _do_ have a female manager! Yakisoba Bun, Score!' said the smaller one with a middle parting in his black hair, and the taller one with spiked brown hair glanced over to see me.

'Ooh, Shibayama, they have two of them! Do you know what that means!?' he asked his friend excitedly.

'Double-Score!' they cheered together, high-fiving with both hands, while Yamamoto-san started to tear up, and then, he ran away crying.

'Y-You'll pay for this!' he cried as he fled the scene. What an odd guy. And here I was, initially finding him scary… he's a lot like Tanaka-senpai actually.

Beside me, Michiko chuckled mischievously and I looked at her. She leaned in to whisper, 'Actually, I was the one who told Shibayama-kun and Inuoka-kun that Karasuno had two managers.' She revealed herself as a co-conspirator in this apparent bet.

I quietly laughed, 'That's kind of mean to Yamamato-san…!' I told her.

'Hey, he's too easy to get worked up!' Michiko laughed, 'Anyways, we've only got today but let's spend some time together, okay?' she said to me, and I smiled and nodded.

Michiko went out of her way to arrange this short reunion between us, and I don't want to waste it!

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Happy New Year! I'm all recovered from that nasty bug, thank you for all your well wishes! I hope you guys had a nicer new year~ xD**

 **So here it is! Nekoma arrives! Michiko returns!**

 **Let me know how you liked this chapter~?**


	22. 22 VS Nekoma High School

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine, it belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 22 – VS Nekoma High School.**

After the scene outside the gym with Tanaka-senpai and Michiko's senpai, Yamamoto-san, the two different teams separated into their own groups, but Michiko lingered at my side, not wanting to move away so soon after we'd just been reunited.

'Hey, hey, why is Nekoma's manager clinging to us anyways?' Nishinoya-senpai asked curiously, while the others who had not seen our reunion up-close also looked for answers.

'Oh, sorry, this is the friend I mentioned that goes to Nekoma, Ayasato Michiko! She became Nekoma's manager only this week, right?' I asked, looking to Michiko for confirmation.

Michiko nodded her head, 'That's right! I was lucky they let me come along for this practice match even though I'd just joined. I'd been looking for to a chance to reunite with Moeka-chan, and I'm so glad it worked out.' She said.

'Hmmm… You say that, but you're not looking for dirt on us to report to your team, are you?' Tanaka-senpai asked suspiciously.

'Senpai…!' I gasped at him.

'Oh don't worry, I've already got enough dirt from Moeka-chan's and my twice-a-week video-calls~' Michiko laughed, and everyone looked at me.

'I didn't leak anything big…!' I insisted, waving my hands frantically.

'You didn't, huh?' Michiko grinned at me, and I looked at her pleadingly; she laughed, 'Okay, okay! She didn't say anything, and even if she had, I'm not gonna go telling my guys any of that. Just the same, Moeka-chan didn't get anything useful on Nekoma from me! Not like I've been around them long enough to have anything big.' She confessed, and the Karasuno boys relaxed.

'Hey, that guy that you were talking with,' Kageyama turned to Hinata, who blinked up at him, 'Why did it seem like you'd met him before?' he asked.

'Ehh, Kenma? I happened to run into him during our roadwork. He's Nekoma's Setter.' Hinata replied, and Kageyama suddenly donned an intense look.

'Setter…' he repeated, almost ominously.

Michiko laughed, 'Wow, you were right, he's totally intense, Moeka-chan! That is Kageyama that you mentioned, right?' she asked me, leaning in to whisper.

I nodded, 'That's him. Surprisingly, he's not as scary as I first thought, though. Although he is a little hard to approach sometimes…' I replied quietly, and Michiko nodded.

'I'm pretty interested to finally see him in action though…!' she said with a smile, and a voice called out to her. We turned to see one of the taller Nekoma players, the same from the other day with the messy black hair waving Michiko back over.

'Come along little kitty, play time's over! We need you for warm-ups!' he called to Michiko, who sighed.

I looked to her, curious; 'Little kitty…?' I repeated to her with a tilt of my head.

She rolled her eyes at the nickname, grinning, 'He's been trying to tease me with that nickname since I joined. Hasn't worked. Anyways, I gotta go! Talk to you later?' she asked me, and I nodded, waving slightly.

'You too, Hinata!' she said to Hinata, who nodded and made a verbal affirmative noise, pumping a fist excitedly.

And with that, Michiko left our group and went to catch up with the Nekoma boys. As she joined them, the tall messy-black haired boy ruffled her hair, to which she swiped his arm away and he just smirked at her.

I wonder how she's doing, helping the boys' the team, really.

After all, what she'd wanted in high-school was to continue competitively playing volleyball. But her school ended up not having a team, dashing her plans. And now, purely for the sake of meeting up with me again, she'd impulsively signed on as a Manager for the boys' team. I know she said that there was a classmate of hers was on the team, though he's not here today, she said… but…

I sighed out quietly… _Maybe, I can ask her about it later._

* * *

When we entered the gym, Michiko was already helping the Nekoma team with setting up the net. She spotted me as I came in and smiled and waved to me, and I returned it happily, listening as Hinata raved about the tall-ceilings of the gym nearby.

I watched as Daichi-senpai approached the tall messy-black haired boy, who was apparently the captain of Nekoma's team, to greet him, and sensei and Ukai-san went over to talk to the coach and assistant coach.

Seeing that everyone was doing their jobs, I decided to do mine, too, and went over to join Shimizu-senpai in helping our team do their warm-ups as well.

After warm-ups were finished, everybody changed out of their tracksuits into their jerseys, and went to line up.

This is when Michiko came back over to where Shimizu-senpai and I were standing, waving.

'Hi~! I volunteered to do the scoring for my team, so they said that one of Karasuno's managers should do their team's scores as well.' She turned to look at Shimizu-senpai, 'Shimizu Kiyoko-san, wasn't it? Moeka-chan and I are friends and she told me about how you let her stay over your house recently. Thank you for taking such good care of my best friend~!' Michiko said, and gave a bow.

Shimizu-senpai blushed very slightly, and smiled, nodding.

She bowed her head in return, 'It was my pleasure. Mogami-chan is a sweet girl.' She replied, and patted me on the shoulder, 'I'll leave the scoring in yours and your friend's hands, okay? I need to stay by Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai.' She said to me.

I nodded my head, and she let us be.

'She seems nice.' Michiko said with a single nod, and grabbed my hand, 'Come on, let's get over to the scoreboards. The match'll be starting in a minute.'

And with that, Michiko and I took up our positions as scorekeepers. The boys also, took their positions at opposing sides of the court, huddled around each other for a pep-talk.

After finishing their pep-talk with a simultaneous 'Ossu!'. I heard Michiko giggle and glanced over to her, 'What is it?' I asked her.

She grinned and pointed to Nekoma's captain and the Setter, Kozume-san; 'Whenever Kuroo-senpai does a pep-talk, I've heard from the others, he always uses geeky science terms, and calls the team things like the blood pumping oxygen to the brain, and things like that. Kozume-senpai always finds it super embarrassing, but he has a really half-assed way of complaining about it. Everyone else seems into it though.' She explained to me.

Ah, so that guy was called 'Kuroo' then. With his hair, it should be easy to remember.

'Ah, that reminds me, you already told me the names of all your guys, but you don't know many of Nekoma's guys names. I'll point 'em out to you. You already know Kozume-senpai and Kuroo-senpai… oh, and you've been introduced to Yaku-senpai and sort of to Yamamoto-senpai too… hmm. Okay! So,'

Michiko pointed to another tall guy with the Number 2 on his shirt who was standing near Kuroo-san and Kozume-san, 'That's the vice-captain, his name is Kai Nobuyuki, he's a third year Wing Spiker.'

She moved her finger to the two from earlier, the black-haired boy with a centre-parting first; 'Number 12, our reserve Libero is called Shibayama Yuuki. – He's a first year, and so is Inuoka Sou, in the Number 7 jersey. He's a Middle Blocker.' Michiko explained, and I nodded.

'Ah, the only other one that's here is Fukunaga-senpai, who's also a Wing Spiker, he's a 2nd year. You also know about Haiba-kun who couldn't come because he sucks at blocking,' She concluded with a laugh, and I noticed she left out anything beyond their names, positions and years.

I called her out on that, and she just smirked,

'I want you to see their skills first-hand. You've gotta see it without knowing before hand, you see. You guys may have this supposed 'freak quick' and a decent Libero but Nekoma has their own deck of cards to play.' Michiko said confidently.

I could only look on in wonder.

She'd only been with these guys a little over a week, and she was already this invested in them… I wondered why that was.

* * *

As everyone got into position, Hinata was in the row closest to the net to start while Kageyama-kun was positioned in the back row. Across from Hinata was Nekoma's Number 7… Inuoka-san, as Michiko had informed her of his name.

Inuoka-san made an impressed-sounding noise, 'Ohh, their middle blocker is so small…!' he said and Hinata flinched.

'D-Don't underestimate me!' he warned Inuoka-san, who laughed good-naturedly.

'I wasn't.' he told Hinata, who looked confused. Nearby, Kageyama-kun loudly clicked in dissatisfaction. Michiko blinked at the dark-haired Setter.

'What's his problem?' she asked me as Hinata's attention was caught by Kozume-san, and I shrugged.

'Maybe he wanted Hinata to be underestimated?' I wondered, and Michiko grinned.

'It wouldn't be hard to…' she said.

I turned to her, passionate, 'But even if they're not underestimating Hinata, they're still gonna be surprised today!" I said.

'We can't wait to see it. It's great that Hinata's improving from middle school with a more experienced Setter… No offence!' Michiko quickly added.

I shook my head, 'None taken. I agree.' She said.

The whistle sounded, and the match began with Kozume-san serving. On cue, he sent the volleyball over to Karasuno's side of the court and Asahi-senpai went in for the Receive.

It went up, but was a bit off; 'Sorry, it's a bit short!' he apologised.

'It's your fault for skipping out for a month!' Nishinoya called out, and the soft giant apologised again.

Kageyama-kun went in to cover, and Set the ball to Hinata, who quickly changed directions and dashed towards the ball quicker than anyone on the Nekoma team could react; he spiked the ball and scored a point before they could make a move.

Everyone on the Nekoma team was caught off guard, even Michiko, to some extent.

'Woah, has he gotten even faster…!?' she gasped, grinning, 'That was a sweet spike! It's like it went right into his hand, and then all of a sudden it hit the ground…!' she said.

'Hey, why're you complimenting the enemy team, Michiko-chan!?' Yamamoto-san whined at my friend as I laughed and nodded.

'That was really fast. What was that!?' Inuoka-san said, shocked.

'A Quick from that far away is…!' Yaku-san trailed off.

'What was that? He didn't even look at the toss.' Nekoma's Coach said, baffled. Ah, so he caught that.

'Wha-?! His eyes were—I thought you were joking about that, Moeka-chan!' Michiko looked at me incredulously. I could only grin at her.

When I turned back, I saw Kozume-san approach Hinata, 'That's amazing, Shōyō. I'm surprised.' He said softly and Hinata looked to him, laughing happily at the praise.

Nishinoya-senpai went to further praise Hinata and he turned away from Kozume-san, so he didn't notice the intense look in that guy's eyes like I did. I frowned slightly, wondering why I felt unnerved.

Beside me, Michiko laughed quietly, 'You're not the only side that's full of surprises.' She said to me.

I glanced at her; _What's that supposed to mean,_ I thought before turning back to watch the match.

It continued with Tanaka-senpai's serve this time, and his ball was received cleanly by Fukunaga-san and sent up to Kozume-san for the toss; it was spiked by their intimidating Spiker, Yamamoto-san, but caught by Nishinoya-senpai.

The ball went again to Kageyama-kun and it looked like he and Hinata were going to do another Quick at first, before it was sent instead to Asahi-senpai, who scored another point after bouncing out of court from contact with Nekoma's Libero, Yaku-san.

That makes two points; and it was time for Nishinoya-senpai to switch off the court for Tsukishima-san.

After a while, the ball came towards Hinata, and he attempted to get into position for a Receive, only to flub it. Ahh, his arms had been a little too tense.

'I-I'm sorry!' Hinata cried. I watched as Kageyama-kun yelled at him again, and also noticed Nishinoya-senpai returning to the court.

But the game went on, and despite the flubs here and there Karasuno were in the lead, points-wise. So far, it seemed like they were the better team even though Michiko had claimed at her team had some Ace in the hole themselves.

I hadn't seen anything like that so far. Well, Michiko's only been with the team a little over the week, so maybe she was mistaken in someway.

'Don't underestimate them.' Michiko suddenly said, and as I looked at her she smiled, 'There's a reason for everything, including how they're playing right now. Look.' She gestured over to her team's Coach, who was calling for a Time Out.

'At what?' I raised my eyebrows at my friend. Just what was she getting at…?

Michiko sighed dramatically, 'You've gotten awfully cocky since going to Karasuno~' she drawled and I jumped in surprise. Me? Cocky…?

Am I really? No, surely not. I'm only supporting my team. Was I not seeing something…?

'Nekoma likes to… observe and then make a plan. Like a cat observing and taking it's time to formulate the best strategy to capture its prey. We called this time-out for a reason, and you guys are about to see why~!' she told me.

I took in her words and thought about it, looking down at the scoreboard we had been maintaining. It was currently at 07 – 10 to Karasuno. There was a three-point lead.

Was Michiko implying a turnaround…?

The whistle sounded, causing me to turn my attention back to the game again. I guess I'd have to watch and see what Michiko meant.

A few plays later, the supposed turnaround hadn't happened just yet, and Karasuno still had a three-point lead, but Nekoma were steadily keeping up.

But I was starting to maybe see where Michiko was coming from in Nekoma's actions. Their Middle-Blocker, Inuoka-san had been set to mark Hinata specifically, and though he hadn't managed to stop him just yet, I could tell he was getting close.

But for now, he still hadn't quite gotten there.

'Ahh, I missed it again…!' Inuoka-san whined.

'Shake it off! You almost had it!' Yamamoto-san said to him and he apologised. I saw Kageyama-kun observing Inuoka-san with a frown on his face.

He'd probably sensed the same thing I had.

Hinata went in for the spike again, and in reaction, Inuoka-san went to try and block it again. It bounced off his fingertips and went to Yaku-san who bumped it back up for Kozume-san.

Hinata went in, ready to react, but both he, the rest of the team and I were all caught off guard when Kozume-san switched tactics, going for a dump-shot.

I clicked my tongue in frustration, clenching my fists, as Michiko put the point in with a chuckle.

'Told you so. Kozume-kun's a smart player.' She said, 'He plays a lot of strategy-based games, I've heard, so he's good at coming up with interesting ways to solve problems on the fly.' She said.

'Oh, he's a gamer? I think Hinata-kun said he was playing with his phone when he met him the other day.' I asked and she nodded, while we watched Kageyama-kun whispering to a frustrated Hinata.

Michiko nodded, 'Yeah, sounds like him. He even brings his handheld to school. He whips it out during breaks and after practice.' She replied, as the game continued.

As Nekoma's vice-captain spiked and Tanaka-senpai dived to receive it, I continued speaking, 'Speaking of which… did you find Appliepie yet? Maybe it's Kozume-san?' I asked.

Michiko laughed, 'Just 'cause he plays videogames doesn't mean he's my Tokyo online-gaming buddy. I have had my suspicions though… but Kozume-senpai's kinda hard to approach.' She told me.

Suddenly, my attention was diverted by Kageyama-kun calling out for a Toss. My eyes darted over to give him my undivided attention.

Nishinoya-senpai bumped it up for him and Kageyama-kun ran in to spike; with perfect accuracy, he slammed the ball down the edge of the court, catching the Nekoma boys off guard.

I grinned and pumped my fists excitedly, 'Nice Kill, Kageyama-kun!' I called out, waving to him happily, and went to put the point in for Karasuno.

Kageyama-kun glanced to me, before giving a nod to my compliment, before whirling round to face Hinata and pointing, 'Hey! That was a straight down! You go straight along the side-line. You need to learn to choose your hits!' he critiqued the stunned Hinata. I chuckled a little to myself.

'Looks like you guys still have a two-point lead,' Michiko murmured, 'Not for long though~' she smirked, and I turned to her.

She sighed out, 'Anyways, like I was saying about senpai, I was thinking of giving it a bit more time, you know? Let him and the rest of the team get used to me being around? He's kind of withdrawn, nose in his videogames most of the time… I get the feeling he's not used to girls...? Or, maybe its just energetic types. I'll chip away at it slowly, and when he's not so tense, I might ask him about it. I'm not expecting anything though. After all, there's no saying for definite that he's _Appliepie_. Tokyo's a big place!' she said.

I nodded, watching the match.

Tsukishima-san managed to block another spike effectively. Kozume-san seemed to be observing him now, as his new 'prey' as Michiko put it. I saw him glance behind him slightly, and Tsukishima-san took that as a directional cue.

But he was fooled, and Kozume-san sent the ball in the other direction.

'No way…!' I breathed out. Tsukishima-san was one of our smartest players, and he was duped…!

'It's not just Karasuno who can do the decoy trick! I told you~' Michiko said happily, putting in another point on her side. I bit my lip… so this is what she was talking about.

Kozume-san might not stand out as a Setter as much as Kageyama-kun but it didn't mean he didn't have talents of his own. His observation skills and his tricks were nothing to sneeze at, and he also had a decent team to support him where he needed it.

Before I knew it, with the next few plays the teams' positions had been reserved and Nekoma was the one with the two-point lead.

'Kageyama! I'm going to make the next spike count, so give me a toss!' Hinata said to Kageyama-kun, who looked at him.

'Right now, it's Set Point for our opponent. Mess it up and we'll lose the set.' Kageyama-kun said and I nodded in agreement.

Hinata flinched, but wasn't deterred, 'I know! I'll do it!' he said.

'Hmm… wasn't Kageyama-san the one who beat Hinata last year?' Michiko asked me, as the teams got into position for the last play of the set.

'He was a part of the team that beat Hinata-kun's, yes.' I clarified with a nod.

'It's just surprising,' Michiko said, 'That they get along so well despite that. I know you said they argued at first, but…' she trailed off.

'Kageyama-kun wasn't as bad as we thought. He knows what he wants, he's just bad at expressing himself.' I nodded, agreeing with her.

The potentially final play of the set was already in motion, so I focused on that instead, my fingers anxiously fiddling with the corner of the fabric of my side of the scoreboard, hoping to be able to flip it over for Karasuno's point.

Nishinoya-senpai got Nekoma's serve and bumped it back up for Kageyama to make a Toss. As Hinata got ready to head in for a jump, it looked like Inuoka-san was already getting ready to attempt another block.

This time, he managed to knock back Hinata's spike, and the ball shot back to the ground on Karasuno's side, scoring Nekoma their Set Point.

I widened my eyes and dropped my jaw, letting go of the scoreboard in reaction.

The whistle sounded, marking the end of the Set

Inuoka-san looked down at Hinata with thrilled expression, 'I finally caught you!' he said.

Now that Nekoma could shut down Hinata's spikes… What would happen in the 2nd Set…?

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Uwaaah, sorry for the longer-than-usual wait! I was really distracted last week. One of the many reasons is La La Land which I finally got to see and I haven't been able to stop listening to the OST for ever since…! It was sooooo gooood!**

 **Here's a new chapter, finally! This covered the first set of the Nekoma practice match, and what I wanted to do was show a bit of how Michiko was with Nekoma's team.**

 **If you want more of that, I'm strongly considering a side-story for Michiko and Nekoma (and appearances from Fukurodani and crossovers with Moeka's Karasuno group of course). Would you guys like that….?**


	23. 23 Ulterior Motives

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 23 – Ulterior Motives.**

After the end of the 1st set of the practice match ended with a win for Nekoma, the two teams gathered to talk about what they needed to do next. I watched them from across the court, wondering how they were doing. After all, they had been in the lead for most of the set, only to have the tables turned on them all of a sudden.

Like a cat leaping on an unsuspecting chick as it feeds on stray breadcrumbs. They never saw it coming.

As they were finishing up their talk, Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai loudly said some words of encouragement to Hinata.

'Let's nail the next one, Hinata!'

'Smash it in!'

'Yes!' Hinata responded, looking determined. I smiled to myself and Michiko hummed beside me.

'Hinata's got himself some supportive senpai on his team, by the looks of it!' she said, pleased.

'Well, there were a few hiccups,' I reasoned, thinking back to that disastrous first set during the Aoba Johsai practice match the other week.

'But they're working well together, right now!' Michiko said, and I nodded.

It wasn't perfect, but I could see their teamwork getting better and better in the future.

The second set started with the sound of the whistle, and I watched from the scoreboard carefully, putting in the points for Karasuno whenever they scored. But it was clear that Michiko was doing that more often than I was.

That Number 7, Inuoka kept getting better and better at shutting down Hinata's spiking, and Nekoma's other players also had great defensive skills. Their Setter, Kozume-san was also surprisingly skilled, not like his unassuming looks would have betrayed.

No matter what Hinata did, he kept being shut out.

It was like that match in middle school all over again. To most people, such a thing would be disheartening. I wondered how Hinata was taking it, on the inside. He hadn't voiced any dissatisfaction or frustration. He kept going, kept jumping even as he was blocked and blocked again.

At one point, Kageyama-kun and Kozume-san seemed to catch something in his expression that surprised them, but I couldn't see it from my angle.

Frustrated, I tried adjusting my point-of-view to no avail, 'What? What's got them so rattled all of a sudden?' I mumbled, pouting when my efforts brought nothing.

'I don't know… I think… Hinata's smiling?' Michiko said.

'Eh, _smiling_?' I repeated, blinking incredulously, and leaning over a bit more, I squinted, trying to catch it… He _was_ smiling.

'Hey.' Kageyama-kun said, approaching him.

'It's different somehow. It's not the same as back then when I felt confused because I couldn't see the other side of the blockers and didn't know what to do... I can that my opponent is having trouble keeping up with me. Until now, I felt fear and hate when I was blocked. Now, I'm just excited when he shows up in front of me. With your tosses and some kind of plan, I think I can get past him!' Hinata explained, and turned to Kageyama-kun, 'So, please send me another toss!' he finished.

'That goes without saying.' Kageyama-kun said after a brief moment of silence, and Hinata smiled and nodded.

I took in his words, a smile slowly spreading across my face as I listened. Man… since we came to High School level volleyball, Hinata as really…

'He's really grown.' Michiko interrupted my thoughts and I looked to her; she was grinning at Hinata, and then turned to me, 'Right now, you can tell, right Moeka-chan?' she asked me.

I felt my cheeks get warm, and I nodded, gulping, 'Yeah…' I whispered, turning back to them game in time to see Hinata go in for the spike again… only to forget to actually spike. The ball soared over his head and he looked confused.

That made two of us.

Michiko laughs, 'Well, I guess he still has his moments.' She said in reaction. I could only sigh.

'Until now, he left the ball fully up to Kageyama and just took the swing!' I suddenly heard Suga-senpai's voice gasp out and I blinked. Huh? What? Did I miss something?

'T-Time out!' Coach Ukai called out frantically, and I watched on, surprised. What just happened…?

The whistle blew for a time out and Kageyama-kun approached Hinata, who looked worried;

'I-It's not like I don't trust your tosses…How should I put it…' he flailed.

'What's with the panic?' the Setter blinked at him.

'Kageyama, I want you to give slightly weaker tosses to Hinata. Rather than your usual direct delivery…' Coach Ukai said, going over to them.

'An indirect delivery?' Kageyama-kun asked, and Hinata blinked confusedly.

'Rather than the usual powerful, straight trajectory toss, it needs to float a little. It might be tricky to change it up so suddenly, but…' Coach Ukai trailed off.

'No, I'll do it.' Kageyama-kun replied confidently, nodding.

The time out came to an end and everyone went back to the match. From there, Kageyama-kun attempted to adjust his tosses for Hinata, but their synch was off. No matter how many times he tried, they couldn't spike efficiently this way, with Hinata watching the ball.

It must be frustrating for Hinata… having to rely on Kageyama-kun completely and put his own thoughts to the side.

Eventually, when Nekoma were in a 5 point lead with 10 points all-together, Coach Ukai called for a second time out.

'Hinata,' he said to the red-head, 'You need to calm down.' He added.

'Y-Yes…! I'm sorry. I keep making mistakes.' Hinata said, tucking his head down in shame as he faced his senpai.

'No big deal! I always get to hit the ball unmarked thanks to you! I think I'm allowed to totally own a game once in a while! Haha.' Tanaka-senpai said with a smirk, but with no ill nature behind his words.

'You say that, but Asahi-san's been scoring more points than you have.' Nishinoya-senpai teased.

'Shut up! Anyway, it's all good! Right, Asahi-san?' Tanaka-senpai looked to Asahi-senpai.

'Uh, yeah. He's right. We'll make the points back.' He agreed.

Tsukishima-san stepped in, 'Oh, but if you keep screwing up you could be swapped out.' He said meanly, and Hinata flinched.

'If you're on the verge of learning something. keep at it. You jump alone, but we're all here behind you, supporting you… After all, the ace claims he's going to win back all those points.' Daichi-senpai said, and slapped Asahi-senpai harshly on the back, causing the taller boy to flinch.

Nishinoya-senpai laughed, 'Daichi-san! Don't put pressure on Asahi-san! You wouldn't wanna damage him.' He said.

'He's right! He has a heart of glass after all.' Tanaka-senpai agreed.

'Wh-what am I? Fragile goods…?' Asahi-senpai said exasperatedly, looking embarrassed.

I had been quietly watching this from the side, smiling a little to myself as I saw a smile slowly grow on Hinata's face. It really was a blessing in itself, that Hinata found such a supportive, nice team to become a part of. Well, most of them at least. Tsukishima-san still seemed adamant to tease and mock…

'They seem like an interesting bunch. Everything you described to me and more.' Michiko commented from my side, and I looked to her as she turned her eyes to watch her own team;

'You know that I only took the manager position for Nekoma on a whim. So I could tag along to this practice match, and hopefully more in the future if all goes well. But… this week has been an eye-opener of sorts, for me.' She confided, as the match started back up.

As we watched from the side-lines, she continued to talk, and I quietly listened to what she had to say.

'I know it's silly. I've only been a member of the club for about 8 days or so, so far, but they welcomed me so enthusiastically, with open arms. I could tell after a little while that it meant a lot to them that they had a manager to call their own. I heard from Kuroo-senpai that their last manager had graduated before he even came in as a first year so it was a first for him as well.' Michiko paused, and smiled to herself;

'And there I had been, moping around for the first few weeks, all bummed cause there wasn't a girls' team to join. Haiba-kun had popped the idea to me a few times, but I always brushed it off. I thought it wasn't what I wanted to do with my high-school days – I just wanted to _play_ , you know…!? And I think they sensed that. They sensed that my heart wasn't on the sidelines, but on the court…' she explained.

'Does it bother them? That your reasons for joining were so self-centred?' I mumbled out the question, before blinking and realizing that was probably a little rude. I covered my mouth with my fingers and frowned, glancing at her.

She laughed quietly, 'It was pretty self-centred!' she agreed; 'And that's not fair to the guys. I decided that I wanted to be the manager they'd hoped for. I'm gonna give it my all to support them! Just like I know you're doing for Karasuno, right?' she asked, and looked to me.

I smiled, and nodded, raising my fist and holding it out to her, 'Yeah. Let's both give it our all.' I said.

Michiko nodded with a determined smile, and bumped her fist against mine.

I turned back to the match in time to see Hinata going in for the spike again, against Nekoma's Inuoka-san. As his hand drew closer to the ball, I saw him change his angle slightly and gasped, watching as he sent the ball hurtling in an unexpected direction.

It head off to the side of where Yaku-san waited, and it looked like Hinata may score a point as the Libero rushed for it. Unfortunately, it went out of bounds but just barely.

I clicked my tongue in frustration, as Michiko put in the point for Nekoma. Things continued this way for a while longer, and Nekoma was drawing closer and closer to the 20 point mark in their second consecutive Set, sitting pretty with a four point advantage at 13 – 17.

Kozume-san was serving, and sent the ball over in Hinata's direction. Hinata fumbled with his position, looking a bit flustered, and it had to be covered by Nishinoya-senpai.

The ball was sent up for Tanaka-senpai to spike, and the managed to score a point. The two second year senpai proceeded to pose in what I supposed was intended to be intimidating(?), pumping their fists and chanting something like 'boo-yah'.

I sighed and covered my eyes, putting the point in. Next to me Michiko was unabashedly laughing at them.

As the match continued, Karasuno continued to struggle against Nekoma, slowly climbing the points in unison to their opponents. Then, something seemed to shift, ever so slightly.

When Hinata seemed to notice Inuoka-san running to a free spot of the court; he chased after him, and jumped, managing to get a one-touch in, giving Karasuno the chance to score. Hinata quickly raced to the other side of the court, and Inuoka chased him this time.

Hinata's spike was still sloppy, being out of synch with Kageyama-kun's toss, but this time, nobody blocked him in time, and Yaku-san didn't manage to catch the ball as it landed in the court.

Another point for Karasuno. I squealed happily to myself, and put the point in.

It was Inuoka-san's turn to serve, and so their team rotated, bringing Nekoma's captain before Hinata; as Kuroo-san spoke to Hinata with a smirk, Michiko whistled.

'Looks like Hinata's not going to be making easy points this rotation. Not while our captain's marking him,' She said and I looked at her curiously; 'His specialty is his blocking skills, that's why he's a Middle Blocker. I've seen it in action during practices – he's _good_. Don't tell him I admitted that out loud though~' she said with a laugh.

'Ahaha… I don't know if I could even talk to him in the first place. He looks scary…' I said nervously, and noticed Kageyama-kun dragging Hinata away from the net to speak with him. Huh… _I wonder what they were talking about…?_

'Ah yeah, I forgot, taller people make you nervous, huh? Is it the same with that _megane_ on your team?' Michiko asked.

'Tsukishima-san…? Well he's definitely hard to talk to. I'm still not sure what to make of him just yet… He's got a friend like Yamaguchi-san so I don't think he's _that_ bad.' I replied, furrowing my brows.

Finally, Inuoka was ready to serve and the match proceeded, everyone getting back into position and ready to go.

With what Michiko had said about Kuroo-san, you were worried that Hinata might go back to getting consistently blocked again, but he and Kageyama-kun surprised everyone by switching back to their Freak Quick again, scoring a point before the Nekoma team had a chance to react.

I smiled, glancing towards Kageyama-kun, who must've been the brains behind this change, and added the point in.

But as it turned out in the following plays, it wasn't just Kuroo-san's blocking that you had to worry about. He was a crafty one, and a decent spiker as well, scoring several points and maintaining the gap between points.

Nekoma broke the 20 point mark.

'Our only option is persistence and tenacity!' Coach Ukai's voice suddenly rang out and Michiko and I turned to look at he who had stood up from his seat, fists clenched and smiling encouragingly, 'Attack them with power and speed!' he added.

'You want us to force them into submission…?' Tanaka-senpai seemed gleeful, while putting on a scary face.

'Th-that makes us seem like the bad guys…' Hinata said nervously.

The Coach just laughed, 'What's wrong with that!? Don't you normally think of the Crow as the bad guy?' he said with a sinister look.

'U-Ukai-kun, your face is scary…!' Takeda-sensei gasped.

'So let it ride with our sloppy speed attacks, receives and power plays! Though they are unrefined they are not without potential – those are your weapons of choice! Hit them with everything you have in your arsenal!' he said and I could only stare at him in awe.

'Wow, he's an enthusiastic one! And kinda sappy? Hahaha, I like your team's Coach, Moeka-chan~' she said, turning to me; she blinked, seeing my stunned expression, 'Moeka-chan, what's up?' she asked me.

'It's just…' I paused, thinking about it, 'You're not the only one who joined the team just so you could be at this practice match, Micchan. Ukai-san only actually agreed to be our coach temporarily, so he could face off against some guy in Nekoma- I think, the assistant coach for your team and he were rivals when they were in high school or something… Anyway, he said he was only sticking with us until this match.' I told her.

'Eh? But he seems pretty invested in the team already…' Michiko said, confused by what she heard.

I grinned at her; 'The same goes for you, right? With what you said earlier, it sounds like you're pretty invested in your team now too, despite your initial motivations.' I said to her.

She smiled, 'Ooh, you got me there.' She said with a chuckle; after watching the match for a few moments longer, observing the renewed enthusiasm of Karasuno's plays, she added, 'Well, it's just my opinion, but it looks like your Coach also decided to stick around. And good for him.' She said and I nodded.

I really hope that was true. I felt like with Ukai-san's coaching, Karasuno would only continue to grow.

The match was drawing to a close and Karasuno were finally closing the point gap, but maybe it'd be too late for this match – Nekoma already were at 22 points out of their needed 25, and if Karasuno didn't do something…

A whistle blew, startling me, and I saw Nekoma call a time-out. _Huh? At this late in the game…?_

Maybe it was to throw off the rhythm, because it only lasted a couple of minutes, before the match started again. And with the rhythm disrupted, Nekoma kept their lead, until they were at Match Point.

I pursed my lips, watching anxiously. Of course it was just a practice match so there were no real repercussions here but that didn't stop me from wanting them to win…!

Karasuno kept fighting! With an unexpected but nice decoy ploy by Tanaka-senpai, our captain was able to score another point. If we could get another, it would be a Deuce, tying with Nekoma's points.

They fought tooth and nail for that point, but the ball remained in play thanks to Nekoma's expert receives.

And it was with Kozume-san's receive, that the match came to an end. The ball hitting the ground sounded uncharacteristically loud.

Nekoma's cheers also echoed loudly throughout the gym.

Beside me, Michiko gave a sigh as she put the final point in, and looked at me sympathetically; 'Don't be too down, Moeka-chan. Despite everything, Karasuno played a great game today, right? I know I was impressed, and I'll bet my guys didn't see it coming either.' She said with a grin.

I hummed and smiled, nodding, 'Yeah, they were great.' I agreed.

'Well. I'm going to go congratulate my guys. You should let your guys know proud you are of them too, right~?' Michiko said to me with a grin, and as she headed over to them, she waved back at me.

I waved a little too, and nodded to myself, making my way over towards the Karasuno boys.

But Hinata suddenly spoke up, causing me to pause; 'One more time!' he said and everyone looked at him; he looked determined, 'Let's play one more game!' he added, and everyone looked at him stunned.

Nekoma's elderly Coach grinned and responded, 'Yeah, I plan to do just that! Practice games are all about playing all over again.' He agreed and Hinata brightened up, glad his request hadn't ended in rejection.

I looked on incredulously, as Michiko came back to my side, laughing a little, 'Looks like we'd better get back to our posts, eh? Where does he get that energy from…' she said and I laughed.

That's Hinata for you…

* * *

By the time the boys were finally drained of their energy, the skies had dimmed to their late afternoon/early evening colours, and the gym was filled with the sounds of strained panting.

Hinata still seemed to determined to continue, still full of fire. Nekoma's coach was beyond exasperated at this point.

Coach Ukai scolded Hinata, saying 'Hey, knock it off! They have a bullet train to catch!'

And with that, the matches officially ended, and after each team received a talk from the opposing team's Coach, everyone got started on cleaning everything away. As the boys were mostly tired, we managers joined in and assisted them.

As I was carrying the folded net towards the supply closet, I overheard Tanaka-senpai and what I think was Yamamoto-san from Nekoma talking to one another. Which wasn't too surprising, given that they were quite similar by the looks of things.

But what they were talking about was kind of embarrassing, but also expected of them.

'It's about your… um… y-your managers. Th-the cute, small one with twin-tails, and the beauty with glasses… Um, wh-what're their names…?' Yamamoto-san seemed really nervous. I hadn't pegged him for the shy-with-girls type…

'Why, you! Are you planning to make a move on our managers, haah?!' Tanaka-senpai suddenly started yelling, getting territorial again.

 _It's actually kind of sweet_ , I thought to myself as I waited around the corner with the net, cheeks pink; _although, it's also embarrassing_ , I added.

'No. I don't have the courage to talk to them.' Yamamoto-san confided to Tanaka-senpai. I smiled a little. That was pretty cute too.

It was silent for a few moments, before Tanaka-senpai spoke up, his voice quieter, 'Kiyoko-san… the one wearing glasses is called Shimizu Kiyoko.' He told the Nekoma Ace.

'Kiyoko-san…' he repeated breathlessly, 'It's like…! Her name reflects her personality…!' he added.

'Doesn't it, though! It also took me a while to speak up to her, so I know how you feel. However… It's really _not bad_ to speak out to her and be flat-out ignored.' He said and I sweat-dropped.

 _What does that even mean, Tanaka-senpai…?_

'No! That bar is set way too high for me!' Yamamoto-san cried, 'U-Um, but what about the twin-tails manager…?' he asked, and I smiled, deciding to reveal myself.

Tanaka-senpai continued; 'Our cutie twin-tails manager is called-'

'My name is Mogami Moeka.' I said with a smile, stepping into the doorway, shocking the two 2nd year boys. Yamamoto-san whirled around to face me, his cheeks beet red in mortification.

'I…I…erm…!' he stuttered.

I smiled up to him, 'It's nice to meet you. Um, Yamamoto-san, right?' I asked him, tilting my head.

He nodded quickly, his face still red, 'Y-Yes…! Yamamoto Taketora- I am—er I mean, that's my name!' he flubbed, messing up his words.

I laughed quietly behind my hands, nodding, 'I brought the net back? Where does it go?' I asked.

Yamamoto-san took it, 'I-I'll take care of it!' he said, and I nodded.

Bowing my head in thanks, I left those two to bond over their weird ways with a smile on my face.

Yamamoto-san had seemed pretty scary at first, but at the end of the day, he's just as much of a goofball as some of the guys on Karasuno's team, Tanaka-senpai especially.

I got the feeling those two would be fast friends.

At that thought, I glanced over to where Michiko was tidying up with Kozume-san and Hinata. After today we'd go our separate ways again until another practice match opportunity presented itself.

 _I have to make these last minutes count_ , I thought to myself as I went over to join them.

* * *

Outside of the building we'd had our practice match inside of, I found out that my prediction of Yamamoto-san and Tanaka-senpai becoming fast friends was correct. I think they're even crying…!

I turned away from their unabashed scene of newfound bromance to turn to Michiko with a smile.

'Today was great. I really loved getting to see you again, Micchan.' I told her.

She grinned, 'Don't talk like this is the end! You know I'm gonna keep bugging our coach until he sets up more practice matches with you guys! And we have our video calls!' she said, and gave me a tight hug. I hugged her back with a smile.

'Heheh! Okay. Karasuno will look forward to future matches with you guys.' I agreed.

She patted my back, and pulled away, 'Remember! Make some more female friends!' she reminded me.

'A-Ah… And keep me updated on the search for apple-pie!' I told her in return.

'Will do, Moeka-chan~!' she saluted. Nearby, I saw Yaku-san blink at her confusedly. He was probably wondering what apple pie had to do with anything.

I laughed that our inside joke flew over the Libero's head.

Hinata's voice caught our attention, and we turned to see him approaching Kozume-san who was standing a few steps away from us, on his own.

'What did you think of the match, today?' Hinata asked Kozume-san.

Kozume-san hesitated, before answering, 'It was… just the same as usual.' He said with a soft voice.

I furrowed my brows… The way he said it, it sounded too sad. It was just like Hinata had told me the other day about Kozume-san.

I looked to see Michiko also looking a little sad about what he'd said.

'Next time… I'll make you desperate to win, and then, we'll win. And then I'll make you say that you hate losing, or, that you really had fun anyways! You hear me?!' Hinata told Kozume-san, who looked at him surprisingly.

And after a moment, Kozume-san slowly smiled at Hinata; 'Okay. I'll look forward to it.' He replied.

I smiled softly as I watched the two of them just smile at each other. It looked like _another_ friendship between rival schools had formed today.

* * *

 **onigiriri: Sorry, it took a while to update again! I've been struggling getting into a writing mood lately. I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Next chapter, we'll be getting into Inter-High territory! Which means…. MORE volleyball matches, joy~! xD;; It's hard to make every match interesting, so I hope I'm doing okay…!**

 **Any feedback makes my day! Thank you for your support so far, you guys are all amazing~ :'D**


	24. 24 Supporting You

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 24 – Supporting You.**

After the Nekoma team left us behind to catch the bullet train back to Tokyo, as the orange sunset covered the horizon, we of Karasuno still stood outside together.

I stood next to Hinata, and on his other side stood Kageyama-kun, who started speaking;

"That Nekoma… if today had been an official game with them, it would've been all over right away, after the first match." He admitted and Hinata and I frowned. He was right.

Michiko's definitely teamed up with a formidable crew.

"I agree." Hinata said, surprisingly serious. But then again, when it came to the subject of volleyball, I shouldn't have been too surprised by that.

"I also agree. Nekoma has players that are on a whole other level to you guys. And what's more, the preliminaries for Inter-High are right around the corner. If you guys want to make it, you're going to have to succeed against many more tough to beat teams, who aren't going to just hand over a win without a fight." He told the boys; "Which is why we'll be heading back right away. There's a lot of room for improvement, so we need to get started as soon as possible." He added with honesty.

Everyone took the words with gratitude, and gave an ' _Ossu'_ of consent.

And with that, as we headed towards our loaned bus to head back to Karasuno High-School, I smiled quietly to myself.

It's not like I doubted her, but it looked like Michiko had been totally right about Ukai-san. And I was glad.

* * *

A few days had passed after coming back from the Practice Match against Nekoma, and it had become more and more real that Inter-Highs were coming up for the boys.

The other evening, after practice, Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai had been looking through a volleyball magazine and had showed us a spread that was done on a player who had been named the Number 1 Ace in the prefecture, a guy named Ushijima Wakatoshi. He was the Ace for Shiratorizawa Academy, a team even a volleyball genius like Kageyama-kun had failed to get into. They were also a team that Karasuno would have to beat if they wanted to make it to Nationals.

It seemed like a daunting task; a huge wall to overcome.

Ukai-san and Takeda-sensei had brought us together to discuss the other teams we would have to look out for here in Miyagi prefecture, and they were an intimidating bunch, to be sure.

We ended up being placed in the right brackets to have a chance of facing off against either or both Date Tech and Aoba Johsai in order to make it to the finals of the preliminaries. Was that considered good luck, or bad luck…?

Well, whichever kind of luck it is, Hinata and Kageyama-kun had seemed incredibly excited… but Asahi-senpai seemed concerned, about Date Tech.

"Hmm…" I murmured to myself thoughtfully, as I carried a box sensei had asked me to deliver to the teacher faculty office in my arms; ' _Speaking of Date Tech… that's the school Hatsumi-senpai and Kaori-senpai went to… I wonder if there's any chance of seeing them…?'_ I thought to myself.

"…ami-san…! Hey, Mogami-san!" Suddenly, the voice that I'd barely noticed before now was right next to me and I yelped, jumping a little.

I turned to meet the eyes of Michimiya-senpai, from the girls' team. She looked a little exasperated, so she must've been trying to catch up with me for a while.

I blushed in embarrassment at being caught day-dreaming, "Michimiya-senpai, hello." I nodded to her, looking apologetic.

"Hi! I've heard good things lately about you," she said and I blinked in surprise –from who? "Ah! I heard it from Sawamura? We're friends from all the way back in middle school, you know." She told me.

"I didn't. Senpai's been talking about me…?" I asked her and started walking after she gestured for us to continue.

"Nothing bad, like I said! He said you're fitting in nicely and getting along with everyone. And he also said that you've been a big help so far. He sounded grateful." She told me and I noticed that my cheeks were still feeling hot, now from the praise.

"E-Eh…? Senpai really said that? I'm glad." I flushed happily.

"Yup! And hearing him talk about you like that kinda makes me jealous…" Michimiya-senpai said, glancing away as she said it.

I looked at her curiously, "What do you mean…?" I asked her.

She waved her hands dramatically, flushing pink, "No, no! It's nothing, really! It's…" she trailed off, and coughed awkwardly, "Um, I also heard from Sugawara a week or two ago that you've been helping out as an extra Setter. It's great that you're keeping your own training up, in your own way, even though you're just a manager. He said your tosses are always really easy to hit. Makes me kinda wish that the girls' team had gotten you instead…!" she admitted.

I furrowed my brows, frowning. There was an unpleasant tugging at my heart, hearing senpai speak, as I remembered turning down the girls' team back on the first day. I'd even asked for help finding Shimizu-senpai, right to Michimiya-senpai's face.

I felt awful about it really, even now.

I'd been thinking about it more recently, instead of pushing it to the side. But I'd already went and made myself a place with the boys' team, so it didn't feel fair to them to be having doubts about myself now.

Especially with the Inter-Highs coming up.

"Hey, hey, it's okay!" Michimiya-senpai was suddenly patting my back roughly, snapping me out of it; I looked to see her concerned and embarrassed expression.

"I was only kidding, _really_! Please don't feel bad! You'd told me you wanted to help out your friend, and I don't want you to feel like you made a mistake by supporting them. I was just thinking of the _could-have-beens_ , you know?" she told me, keeping her hand on my shoulder.

I bit my lip, "I'm really sorry…" I told her.

" _Don't_ be." Senpai insisted, with a tone of finality in her voice. She took her hand away from my shoulder and rested both of them on her hips, putting on a strong stance;

"The Karasuno Girls' Team isn't so weak! We're going to do our best this year, and we might even make it to Nationals too! So you better work hard with the boys so that both teams can make it there this year!" she said to me, exuding confidence.

I finally smiled, and laughed a little as I nodded, "Okay…!" I agreed, relieved that she didn't seem mad. An idea occurred to me, "Wh-when is your first match in the preliminaries? The boys are playing one of the first matches of the day on our end." I asked her.

"It's the same here. I think our matches are going on at the same time." Michimiya-senpai replied as we finally arrived outside of the faculty office.

I let my shoulders slump, "I-I see…" I said to myself, and after a moment I shook my head defiantly, "I-I'll still try to come cheer you on! Though I'll probably only be able to make the last set, I think. If I'm allowed, that is…" I said.

Michimiya-senpai beamed at me, obviously pleased, "I'm sure they'll let you! Thank you so much, Mogami-san!" she gushed.

I nodded, and hummed, "Um… you can call me by my first name, Moeka, if you'd like. I-It kind of feels like we're friends, so…" I trailed off uncertainly, looking to her for confirmation.

Michimiya-senpai nodded enthusiastically, and clapped me on the shoulders with her hands, "Friends!" she confirmed, "Then you can call me Yui, okay Moeka-chan?" she said to me with a grin.

I smiled wider, and nodded, "Right, Yui-senpai!" I said a little breathlessly.

She waved to me, thanking me for the talk, and left me to my errand with a lighter heart than before. I sighed out, feeling foolishly giddy. It was a little awkward, but I made another friend…!

Holding down a giggle, I composed myself and knocked on the door for the faculty office and continued about my day.

Lingering thoughts of 'could-have-beens' ran through my head quietly.

* * *

That evening, after practice had ended for the day, I watched as Kageyama-kun and Hinata enthusiastically competed for who could clean the floors quicker with their mop, holding back a chuckle, when Shimizu-senpai quietly tapped my shoulder.

I turned to her, "Yes, senpai?"

She gestured for me to follow her, "Can I get you to come with me? I need to ask you a favour, but nobody else can hear it." She said to me and needless to say, my interest was piqued.

I nodded without a word, and began following her out of the gym.

As we left, Suga-senpai noticed us while pushing a cart of volleyballs, "Shimizu? Mogami-san?" she asked and we turned back to him, "Daichi is going to treat us to meat buns, if you wait up." He told us.

"U-Um…" I mumbled, not sure what to say to him.

Shimizu-senpai answered for me, "Sorry. There's actually something I need to do. Mogami-chan is helping me with it, so we'll pass for today." She replied.

I hurriedly nodded, "Thank you for the offer, though, Suga-senpai! Tell Daichi-senpai we're sorry too…?" I said with an apologetic bow.

"Ahh, okay. Goodnight, then." He nodded, smiling and waving us off; "I'll let Daichi know." He added for my sake, as I followed Shimuzu-senpai.

She took me to the girls' locker room, where we started getting changed from our practice gear as always, together.

As we got changed, Shimizu-senpai spoke up, "About the favour I asked of you – You need to keep it a secret from the guys, okay? I would like it to be a surprise." she told me.

I nodded, "What are we doing?" I asked her curiously.

"A few days ago, when we came back from the Nekoma practice match, I was going through the storage, when I found an old banner Karasuno used to use at games." She revealed to me, "But it was covered in dust and needs to be cleaned professionally… I was wondering if you would like to help me take it to the cleaners, in secret, so that we can surprise the boys with it together. I thought it might be a good way to boost morale." She told me her plan.

I smiled widely; that was so unbelievably cute. I definitely wanted in.

'"'d love to help! And we could even split the cost for cleaning, so it's cheaper!" I agreed to her plan and she smiled softly.

I held out my hand to her and she nodded and shook it gently.

Now we were partners in 'crime'. I couldn't wait to see the boys' faces.

* * *

The next few days went over in a blur, with schoolwork, practice, and Shimizu-senpai's and my secret plan. Before we knew it, it was the evening before the first day of the Inter-High preliminaries. I could tell that the boys had been working really hard over the past week to get ready and they were anxious and excited in equal measures.

Tonight, now that practice was finished with it was time for senpai and I to unveil our surprise to the boys.

Everyone was gathered together in front of us two managers, Takeda-sensei, Ukai-san, and a big white-board that had been borrowed from the school. He'd given us a briefing on what to expect from tomorrow, from a run-over to the possible match-ups to what each player had to keep in mind for their plays.

"Let's quit early and go home to rest up." He finished his talk with this, and everyone nodded.

"Alright, everyone, let's—" Daichi-senpai began, before Takeda-sensei spoke up.

"Wait, one minute please!" he said and the boys all looked at him; "Can I add one or two more comments, from Shimizu and Mogami. They had something to… well, I'll let them take over, if you'll pay them your attentions." He said, and with that he turned to us and gave us an encouraging smile.

Everyone's eyes moved to us in surprise and expectancy, and we both started feeling a little put on the spot. It was something we chose to do though, so we couldn't change our minds now.

"…I'm not that good at pep talks, so… I had Mogami-chan and sensei help me put this together." Shimizu-senpai said softly, and nodded to me.

I nodded in return and followed her towards the ladders leading to the upper level balconies the gym had. We had stowed our surprise up there.

As we both climbed up I could feel the boys' eyes on me…

When we got to the top, we quickly got to our positions on either end of the folded up banner, and once we had our grip on the material, we looked to each other.

I gave senpai a smile and a nod, signaling that I was ready, and spoke up; "On three… One, two, three!" I said and we lifted the material and threw it over the railing, keeping a hold of the end, and displaying the banner for the boys to see.

We looked down to them, watching as their expressions became stunned, unsure what to make of it.

"I didn't know we even had this!" Suga-senpai said in amazement.

"I found it while I was cleaning, and wanted to clean it," Shimizu-senpai said, and glanced over to me, "I approached Mogami-chan to see if she'd like to help, so we both did this together." She explained and I nodded.

"I thought it was a great idea!" I commented.

"Ooooaaaaah! Now I'm all fired up!" Tanaka-senpai cried, and Nishinoya-senpai agreed.

"I'm impressed, Kiyoko-san! Moeka-san too! You girls do some nice work!" he added.

Daichi-senpai interjected, "Wait! Quiet down. I think they have more to say." He told them and the two quieted down and turned to us again. Senpai was right about that. I turned to watch Shimizu-senpai, who was blushing.

After a quiet moment, she spoke up, "D… Do your best…!" she said to them, and shyly bowed her head. She excused herself after attaching her end of the banner to the railing, and went to climb back down.

I was going to follow right behind her, but I paused when I realised I hadn't said much of anything yet. It had all been Shimizu-senpai.

So, I put my piece in, too.

I smiled, "Show everyone that the crows can fly again!" I also called out to them, and then followed after senpai.

They remained quiet as we climbed down, staring in wonder for a moment. But after we'd made it back down the ladder and turned to them, tears suddenly started bursting from the senpai's eyes, surprising everyone else at the sincerity of their tears.

Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai's tears were especially dramatic.

Daichi-senpai rubbed his eyes, sobbing openly, "Shimizu has never done anything like this before!" he cried, moved.

"T-These people… they're dumbstruck." Tsukishima-san said, visibly taken off guard by Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai's waterworks.

"Yeah, usually they're so boisterous." Yamaguchi-san agreed.

I frowned, and went to dig around in my jersey's pockets, before bringing out a pack of tissues and going over to the sobbing senpai. I held out the pack to them.

"We didn't mean to make you guys cry. Here, have some." I offered to them.

…But it looks like I ended up making them cry even more. And here I thought it was a good plan.

"This is the first tissue I've ever received from a girl!" cried Nishinoya-senpai.

"This is a good day to be alive…!" Tanaka-senpai added, as the two of them gratefully took a tissue each and proceeded to blow their noses loudly. Behind me, Tsukishima-san tsked, sounding annoyed.

"Hey, you two cut it out already! This is getting out of hand!" Suga-senpai sighed exasperatedly, hands on his waist. There were tears in the corner of his eyes as well.

In Daichi-senpai's too, I could see them, as he spoke up, emotionally charged; "We're gonna win round one!" he said, and the boys all cheered in agreement.

I sighed, smiling at their antics, before going over to Shimizu-senpai who looked flustered at all the fuss that had been kicked up because of her idea. She'd clearly not being expecting such a crazy reaction and certainly not the tears.

Nudging her slightly with my shoulder, I smiled up to her.

"I'd think they're more than ready to go for tomorrow now. It was a great idea, senpai." I told her, and she nodded, her cheeks pink.

"I'm glad that they liked it so much, but…. It's embarrassing." She said softly. I laughed quietly and agreed with her.

* * *

Eventually, everyone calmed down enough to pack up and get changed, ready to go home. The gymnasium was closed up, and everyone began on our trek down the hill from the school.

Beside me, Hinata wheeled along his bicycle without a word for a while, before finally speaking up.

"I'm glad it wasn't something bad." He said suddenly and I turned to look in him surprise.

"What do you mean, Hinata-kun?" I asked him.

"The thing you and senpai were keeping from the rest of us. This week you two were always sneaking off and whispering to each other, like it was something you didn't want us to know. So I thought it might be something really bad, you know? I was worried." He admitted, and squirmed a little.

Then he smiled, "But in the end, it turned out to be something awesome. Thanks for what you and senpai did today, it really got me and everyone else pumped up for tomorrow!" he said, grinning at me.

I flushed and smiled back, "You're welcome…! But it was senpai's idea. But, um…" I trailed off, humming.

"What?" he asked me.

"It's just… You and the guys have been so focused on practicing for the preliminaries, that I didn't realise you'd noticed something like that." I replied.

"Eh? Of course I did. Because, I've been trying to watch out for you, just like you're always looking out for me, so I could just tell." Hinata told me, looking straight at me.

I blushed, "Y-You were watching out for me…?" I mumbled, thrown off guard. I felt my cheeks get hotter.

"Yeah, well… You're always looking out for me. S-So I wanna support you too… when I can." He said, turning his head away. I lowered my head to hide how red my face probably was right now.

I didn't realise that… he cared so much. It feels nice.

I smiled, "Th-Thanks…" I said quietly.

"A-Ah…" he stuttered out.

And then the moment was ruined, by a certain duo.

"Woah, Shōyō, smooth moves! I approve!" Nishinoya-senpai cut in, swinging an arm around Hinata's shoulder and knocking him off balance with a yelp.

"Of course, he learnt from the best after all! US!" Tanaka-senpai said and gave a boisterous laugh; "Next time though, might wanna try being less… Er, what was the word again, Noya-san?" he trailed off, turning to his friend for help.

"How about 'Lame?" Tsukishima-san suggested, causing our heads to turn to him. Next to him, Yamaguchi-san laughed at his friend's comment behind his hand.

"Nice one, Tsukki!" he complimented.

"Shut it, Tsukishima! That was uncalled for!" Tanaka-senpai angrily pointed at the tall teen.

"You guys were listening in?!" Hinata cried, looking as though he might die of embarrassment; to that, Kageyama-kun silently nodded in response, "Was _everyone_ l-listening!?" he gaped.

"Well we are all walking together…" Asahi-senpai bashfully reminded him, rubbing the back of his head and blushing.

At this, I covered my face, which was burning. Why is this even happening…!?

"If you had intended for it to be a private conversation, then you should have waited until the two of you were alone. Are you some kind of idiot?" Tsukishima-san taunted Hinata.

"I…! You…! G—" Hinata couldn't even form words anymore.

"Alright, alright, let's just leave them alone. What's done is done, after all. We've got a game tomorrow, you know." Suga-senpai stepped in, speaking soothingly.

"Thanks, senpai…" I finally spoke, peeking out from behind my hands and turning to Suga-senpai who had been standing nearer to me.

He nodded understandingly, scratching his cheek awkwardly, "Sorry for those idiots." He apologised on Tanaka-senpai's and Nishinoya-senpai's behalf. "But anyway, wasn't your bus stop around this corner?" he pointed out and I blinked.

I looked around, finally regaining my bearings, and realised he was right.

"O-Oh, yeah…! I guess this is where we part ways for the night. See you all tomorrow…!" I said with an awkward smile of my own, bowing to the boys. They said their own 'see you laters' as well, and I glanced to Hinata, whose cheeks still hadn't lost their flush.

"Um… see you tomorrow." I said to him quietly, and he looked surprised, before stuttering out his response.

And with that, I ran away from the group, feeling embarrassed and confused, but strangely happy...?

Hinata… wants to support me too.

I didn't know how much I'd wanted to hear that, and it made me so happy.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Sorry for the delay! Here's a new chapter for you all to enjoy! I've decided, on the advice and comments of a few of you, to use quotation marks like a normal human being, lol. xD I'll eventually edit the older chapters (maybe).**

 **This time, I wanted to do some moments with some Karasuno girls for once, to fill in the time between the Nekoma match and the start of Inter-Highs. The moment with Yui isn't insignificant, though.**

 **And I managed to get in a Hinami (HINAta x mogaMI) moment in too! I hope that you liked that! :D**

 **Coming next, the start of the Inter-High Preliminaries!**


	25. 25 Winners and Losers

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 25 – Winners and Losers.**

The first day of the Inter-High preliminaries finally rolled around and we all piled into a bus and set out for Sendai City Gymnasium, where the games would be held.

Upon arriving, we all got out of the bus and made our way towards the front doors. As we did, we overheard some people talking while looking at the match line-ups.

"Shiratorizawa will probably win straight as usual." One of the two boys said.

"No, Aoba Johsai seems to be a threat this year as well. They're a cut above the rest now that Oikawa-san is in Year 3. And I hear their first years are improving fast." The other said.

"But can they win the block against Date Tech…? I'm glad we weren't in Block A!" the first said, sounding pleased. Block A… that's the Block we're in…

"Let's see… Block A has… To… Torino…?" the second boy said uncertainly and I sweat-dropped. I guess it does have that kanji in it…

"Isn't it read 'Karasuno?' They used to be good, a few years ago, I mean. But now they've earned themselves a totally lame nickname. The Clipped Crow." The first boy added with a laugh in his voice.

It's then that I noticed that our team was walking towards those guys and I gulped worriedly. Usually it was just Tanaka-senpai and maybe Nishinoya-senpai now too, that liked to start things…

They all gathered around behind the two guys, who jumped in shock and turned around to face Karasuno's team.

"A-Ah… um…!" one of the guys stammered, afraid.

Tanaka-senpai loomed over them, "What was that you said? Clipped what…?" he asked threateningly, before being dragged away by the collar by Daichi-senpai.

"I'm sorry for him." He bowed to the boys, who accepted the apology. With that mess averted, we continued inside.

As we made our way through the entrance area, I heard a lot of chatter around us, about some of the members of Karasuno.

I think I heard them talking about rumours about Asahi-senpai… and none of them painted him in a good light. Rumours are just rumours after all. Asahi-senpai is the opposite of what people seem to think he is, it seems.

"Well, it can't be helped." Suga-senpai laughed lightly.

"It's the image you project." Daichi-senpai added.

"I-I only wanted to look a little wild on the outside, that's all!" Asahi-senpai stammered, and I laughed quietly behind my hand.

What was with some guys, and wanting to look 'wild'…? Was that what some girls liked? Though I like Asahi-senpai as a person, that look isn't really my type at all.

The people surrounding us continued to whisper non-too-quietly as we walked. Things like awing over Shimizu-senpai, which set of Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai's protective instincts, to people talking about Nishinoya-senpai as a Libero, then of course, the expected gossip about Kageyama-kun. It seemed like a lot of our players were known amongst the circuit, despite us being ranked 8th in the prefecture. But I didn't hear much of anything about Hinata.

 _Well that's to be expected,_ I thought, looking over to my friend; _Hinata is our trump card. He's definitely going to make his mark this year._

I smiled to myself at that thought, and as I watched Hinata marvel over the smell of air-salonpas spray of all things, I noticed another team swiftly approaching us out of the corner of my eye.

I turned to look at them and jumped in surprise. At the very front of the group, quickly approaching Asahi-senpai, was a really tall guy with white guy… and, I think he doesn't have eyebrows…!

'Eek!' I gasped, and dashed to hide behind the closest person to me, which happened to be Kageyama-kun. He looked at me incredulously, but indulged me and let me peek out from behind him.

'It's Date Tech…!' Suga-senpai spoke up, and I widened my eyes, then squinted to read the kanji on their white and dark green jersey jackets… it did indeed read Date Kogyo Koko, the school's official name.

That tall, scary white haired guy, who was wearing a white and dark green jersey, pointed at Asahi-senpai without a word, surprising us all.

"Hey. Who do you think you are?" Nishinoya-senpai asked, his voice deeper and serious. I glanced to him to see an intense look in his eyes.

It's understandable… After the clash they had last year and the chain of events afterwards caused by it.

Surprisingly, Asahi-senpai held Nishinoya-senpai back and boldly faced on the pointing giant.

After a tense few moments, another person in the same jersey, with short curly black hair, caught up with his team and went to pull the giant's arm down and stop his pointing.

"Hold it, hold it, hold it. Stop that, Aone-kun! I'm so sorry, I'm sorry!" he said, desperately fighting against the giant named Aone's stubborn pointing; he turned to another boy on his team, with straight brown hair and an uncaring posture, 'Hey, Futakuchi, give me a hand here…!' he added.

"Yeah, sorry~!" the one called Futakuchi complied and assisted in pushing down Aone's arm, "This dude has a habit of singling out a team's ace wherever he goes." He said as they managed to get Aone to stop, and started to turn him around to walk, "So, I'd like you to get good and ready… to _lose again_." He said finally with a smile.

And with that, they began on their way, the short curly-haired boy complaining about how rude his teammates were.

As they left, I let out a deep sigh of relief, unintentionally mimicking Asahi-senpai. It seems though he put on a braver face than I, he was also afraid.

"Jeez, look at that cold sweat…! Why're you such a wimp off the court?" Nishinoya-senpai sighed, unmoved by the encounter. I flinched a bit, and got out from my spot behind Kageyama-kun finally.

"Noya-san, sugarcoat it!" Tanaka-senpai gasped.

"Sawamura!" a new voice suddenly came, and Daichi-senpai turned around to face the newcomer, a boy with light brown hair and freckles, "Long time no see!"

"Oh! Ikejiri!" he greeted, seeming to know the boy, and he looked to us, "Go ahead without me, okay?" he said to us and we nodded.

 _A friend from middle school, perhaps_ … I thought, as we went ahead without senpai.

* * *

There was still a little while until their first match, and that while was passed trying to quell Hinata's nerves again. Thankfully, Asahi-senpai provided him with an effective method of doing so, and all was fine, this time.

As I watched them chat with each other, Shimizu-senpai approached me, with the bag containing the team's 'Fly' banner, and handed it to me.

"Each team can only have one manager down on the court with them at a time. I'm going to have to ask you to put the banner up for us and look after it." She said, handing the bag to me.

"Ah… o-okay. Uhm…" I trailed off. Shimizu-senpai blinked at me curiously.

"Oh that's right! Michimiya was saying to me today that you were going to go cheer on the girls' team as well today. You're heading out towards the end of the Second Set, right?' Suga-senpai jumped in to the conversation.

"Yes, that's right…! Is that okay? I forgot to ask…" I said, rubbing the back of my head abashedly.

Shimizu-senpai hummed, before nodding, "Okay, you can go. I'll collect the banner after the match then." She nodded. I turned to Daichi-senpai and Suga-senpai and the rest, who nodded in agreement.

"We'll win this match, just you watch!" Hinata crowed and I smiled and nodded.

"I'll let you know whatever you miss." Shimizu-senpai added.

I sighed out in relief, feeling better, "Then I'll head up to the stands now. Everyone, do your best today!" I told them and they all nodded, parting from me; apart from Takeda-sensei, who I looked up at curiously.

He smiled down at me, "You'll need some help putting the banner up right?" he reasoned, and I smiled, nodding.

"Thank you, sensei!" I said, and we headed up to the stands with the banner. We made it up there in time to see the Karasuno boys arrive on the courts. Takeda-sensei and I quickly set to work on hanging the banner for them.

Sensei bid me farewell and hurried back down to the court. Karasuno got started on their practice and warm-ups and I settled in in the stands and got comfortable.

* * *

As I sat and watched the boys warming up, I heard a group of footsteps approaching me and I jumped up, realizing I was blocking the way to a bunch of free seats.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Go ahea—" I cut myself off when realizing who was in front of me, "Oh! Um, it was Kindaichi-san, wasn't it? And… erm, I don't know your na—ah, the whole team…!" I gasped, surprised.

Kindaichi-san rubbed the back of his head, smiling a little, "Th-that's right… it was Mogami-san, right?" he asked me and I nodded to him.

"I'm Kunimi. As soon as Yuutarou saw you he just dragged us all over here." The boy named Kunimi said, sounding slightly teasing. Kindaichi-san turned red.

"A-Akira…!" he cried, looking embarrassed.

I smiled nervously and bowed my head, "It's nice to see you guys again." I greeted the Aoba Johsai boys, as I shuffled along to give them seats.

"Ah! If it isn't Moeka-chan~!" Oikawa-san finally came into view, and greeted me with a charming smile. I saw just beside him, the spiky haired Ace giving him a threatening stare, as if daring him to try something.

Unperturbed, he continued, inching closer; "But you're so unfair, Moeka-chan! You left me high and dry for weeks without a single text or phone call or anything…!" he said, and I gasped.

Oh yeah… I'd forgotten all about him giving me his number and email after the practice match.

Putting on the most apologetic expression I could, I looked up to Oikawa-san, "I'm so sorry!" I told him.

He waved me off, smiling, "I mean, I understand, you were probably just really busy, right? I can't think of another—"

"No, wait! Um, I'm really sorry, Oikawa-san! The truth is, I…" I blushed, "I ended up throwing away the number right away. It didn't feel right, being given your contact details just like that. We hardly know each other at all, and it made my teammates uncomfortable, so I just did what I thought was best. I'm sorry." I said, and bowed my head in apology to him.

All was quiet. And then, I heard some snickers from the other Aoba Johsai boys. When I looked up, I saw Oikawa-san's shell-shocked expression, and the team's Ace shaking his head at his captain.

" _See_ , Shittykawa? I told you, I wasn't lying to you when I said I saw her throw it away. Not every girl in the world is going to fall over at your feet." He told Oikawa-san.

"Did… Did you really throw it away…?" he asked me, still in disbelief.

I nodded, "Yes, I did." I clarified, feeling a little bad for some reason. I mean, I know I shouldn't feel bad – it was the right thing to do. But Oikawa-san is looking at me like I killed his puppy…!

"Wow, I like this girl~" drawled a voice, suddenly nearby.

"Yeah, it's not every day you see that guy get so insistently turned down." Agreed another nearby voice.

I turned to see two of the taller Aoba Johsai boys; one with short reddish-brown hair, and the other with dark curly hair and thick eyebrows.

"I'm Hanamaki." Said the first, followed by the second, introducing himself as a Matsukawa.

"I-It's nice to meet you." I nodded to them.

Oikawa-san smiled, seemingly getting over it, and gestured to the Ace, "And this one is Iwa-chan—" he began.

"I can introduce myself, you ass!" the spikey haired Ace smacked Oikawa-san on the back of the head, "Iwaizumi Hajime." He nodded to me.

"Mogami Moeka." I nodded back to him. And then, Hinata finally noticed what was going up in the stands, having come to get a drink from the bags below the stands.

"Ehhh?! The Grand King…!" he cried, getting the attention of Oikawa-san. Kageyama-kun's too, and he moved to join Hinata.

"Ooh! Yahoo, Tobio-chan, and the shorty! Having fun with your deviant combination~?" he asked, making a peace sign.

"W-Why are they sitting with Mogami-san…?" I think I heard Hinata mumbling, while I saw Kageyama-kun frown. Feeling sheepish, I just shrugged, and mouthed to him 'they just showed up.' To that, the Setter let out a sigh and turned to walk away, telling Hinata to stop getting distracted and get back to warm-ups.

"Ho… so you guys have a Libero now. You didn't when we had out practice game." Oikawa-san commented.

I nodded, "Our Ace came back too." I nodded, "The team has gotten a lot stronger since the last time you guys saw us." I added.

"Really… Well I can't wait to see it for myself." Oikawa-san nodded, his observant gaze becoming serious.

I nodded, turning my attention to the court below us. After a few more minutes, the referees called for the start of the match and everyone lined up at opposite sides of the net. The captains were called in to give their greeting handshake, and with that, the match was ready to begin.

* * *

As the teams were having their pre-game pep talks, I noticed that a lot of the Aoba Johsai team already left. It seemed they had only come to scout what kind of players Karasuno was bringing this year. The only ones remaining with me were Kindaichi-san, Iwaizumi-san and Oikawa-san, who had settled into a disinterested looking slouch.

I heard Iwaizumi-san laugh a little, gesturing down to Karasuno's opponent team, Tokonami.

"Their opponent is confused. Which is only natural. After all, who'd put that guy up for middle blocker where you fight for height?" he said.

"Those who mock will pay the piper…" Kindaichi-san quoted, and both Iwaizumi-san and I grinned.

"Indeed. Any insight into why that guy got Middle Blocker, Mogami-san?" Iwaizumi-san asked me.

I shook my head; "I'm not allowed to leak our secret weapons to someone who'll be our opponents, no matter how big or small." I said with a cheeky smile.

"Figures. But that's fair." Iwaizumi-san snorted.

"So you have confidence that Karasuno will make it to us? We're planning on going all the way to the final match, and then some." Oikawa-san said behind us.

I turned around and nodded to him confidently, "Definitely. Karasuno is strong, and I have faith that they're going to win just like last time." I agreed.

Oikawa-san smirked, "Careful, Moeka-chan~" he said, "The higher the pedestal you put them on, the further they'll fall when we crush them. Where there are Winners, there are also Losers. Aoba Johsai are Winners." He said, with unfaltering confidence in his team.

I tried to think of a response to say to that, but was distracted by the referee's whistle, calling for the match to finally begin.

* * *

"Komaki, Nice Serve!"

Tokonami was first up to serve, and their captain sent his serve over; it was met by Asahi-senpai with a nice receive. The ball went up for Kageyama-kun who went into position, and sent the ball Tanaka-senpai's way.

Tanaka-senpai spiked the ball, and it ricocheted off of the oppositions' blockers arms, scoring our first point. Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai proceeded to cheer obnoxiously.

Eventually, their cheering got on both Daichi-senpai _and_ the referee's nerves and I sighed out exasperatedly.

Next up was Tanaka-senpai's serve; he'd calmed down a little after receiving a scolding.

Tokonami received, and their Setter sent the ball to their Number 4 for a spike. It bounced off of Hinata and Daichi-senpai's arms, but Nishinoya-senpai received it cleanly, sending it back up.

Daichi-senpai bumped it up again, and Asahi-senpai went in for a spike. He send it down between two of the three blockers arms, scoring us another point.

"Whoa, that had huge momentum." Iwaizumi-san said, impressed and Kindaichi-san nodded in agreement.

I smiled, "Nice kill! Keep going, guys!" I called out to the boys, cupping my hands by my mouth to try and amplify it over the obnoxious cheering nearby coming from Date Tech's cheer squad.

Since Karasuno scored from Tanaka-senpai's serve, he got to go again, and sent another one over. Tokonami bumped it back up and sent it over again, and it was again received by Nishinoya-san.

I smiled, getting a feeling that _that_ was coming up. I watched eagerly as the ball went over towards Kageyama-kun, and Hinata got into position, before running in.

Hinata spiked so suddenly that Tokonami, having no experience against Hinata's speed, had no time to react to it either. Another point on our side…!

"Nice Kill, Hinata-kun…!" I cheered out again, and he bashfully grinned and rubbed his head, looking up to me in the stands with a nod, before getting back into it.

"Wow… now that's something alright…" I heard Oikawa-san murmur breathlessly behind me.

I grinned to myself. Hinata really _was_ something. I could agree with that.

…

The match continued on after that, with an obvious point lead. The scores were currently at 12 – 22 to Karasuno. Having three different spikers for Kageyama-kun to toss to seemed to be confusing Tokonami. They didn't know who to focus on because each spiker was a threat on their own.

They made a mistake on their marking again, trying to block Hinata, and the ball went to Tanaka-senpai again. Another point.

'They're already going to win the first set, by the looks of things." Kindaichi-san said, and Iwaizumi-san nodded.

"Their Libero is going to be real trouble. And having that Number 3 on their team allows Kageyama to use his tosses more effectively." He agreed.

I tried to ignore them, instead focusing on the match at hand, also glancing at my wristwatch. If I wanted to watch at least some of the girls' team's match, I might have to go soon.

As it stood, it looked like Karasuno had the first set in the bag. Karasuno was clearly the superior team to Tokonami in this case, but it didn't look like a certain player of theirs was giving up just yet.

I paid a bit more attention to their Number 4, and realised it was that guy who Daichi-senpai had gone away with earlier.

He was really fighting for it, despite the odds. I could appreciate that.

Despite it all, his spike was shut down, winning Karasuno the first set.

The Second Set started off really well as well thanks to Kageyama-kun's Service Aces, with Karasuno immediately gaining a good point lead against Tokonami who just didn't seem to be able to keep up.

I smiled, and nodded, getting up, which caused Kindaichi-san to look at me; 'Eh? Are you going somewhere?" he asked me.

I nodded, "I've promised to also go cheer on our girls' team, and they're playing at the same time so I want to catch at least some of it. Bye-bye!" I said.

"O-Oh, yeah, sure." He nodded.

I glanced at the banner, still hanging, "Oh yeah, um… our other manager will be picking that up afterwards." I gestured to it, and bowed my head slightly, "It was nice seeing you guys." I said, and went on my way.

* * *

It took me a few minutes to navigate Sendai City Gymnasium's hallways, but I managed to find the way to the stands overlooking the girls' games and made my way to them.

By the time I arrived in the stands, I could see that Karasuno girls' were already about half-way into their second set.

I bit my lip as I noticed the scoreboard. 18 – 09 to their opponents, Shiratojoshi. They had just scored their 18th point due to an unlucky out-of-bounds serve by Yui-senpai.

I gathered my breath in my lungs, and cupped my hands, "Don't mind, Yui-senpai!" I cheered loudly, startling people around me as well as the girls' on court. Yui-senpai looked up at me, stunned.

My cheeks heating up, I lowered my hands a little and smiled, blushing and waving down to them.

This situation was familiar. It feels a lot like Hinata's match against Kitagawa Daiichi last year. I really hope it goes better for Yui-senpai though…!

I watched as Yui-senpai's stunned expression slipped into a breathless smile that quickly became a motivated one. She nodded to me, before turning to her team to try to motivate them as well.

A few of the other girls kept glancing up at me curiously, before nodding to their captain. The match continued, with Shiratojoshi's serve.

One of the Karasuno girls, a dainty, cute girl with a short light brown bob tried and failed to receive it cleanly, falling backwards with a yelp.

I bit my lip, watching as Yui-senpai went over to comfort and encourage the girl, who had started crying a little.

Yui-senpai got back up, and looked back over to their opponents, looking determined.

That's right. It's not over yet. You could have a miraculous turnaround at any moment.

I brought up my hands again to cup them, and cheered again, "Go, Go, Karasuno! You can do it, Karasuno!" I called out.

Yui-senpai heard me and smiled and laughed a bit, and the other girls smiled a little too.

"Alright, girls! Let's keeping pushing! We can't lose face just because we're backed into a corner!" she said loud enough for me to hear her, and the girls all nodded in agreement.

Karasuno's girls picked up their game after that, fighting harder for their points. I was feeling optimistic for them, as best I could…

But as the ball hit the court on Karasuno's side again, and again… I felt myself getting colder, with dread sinking in. It didn't look good.

I kept up my cheering nonetheless, until the end.

In the end, my cheers didn't change a thing. Just like last year… In Hinata's game… In _my_ team's game… I knew exactly what they were probably feeling right now.

I watched as they gathered their things, looking downtrodden and defeated, and left the gym, then hastily rushed down the stairs myself, ready to search for them.

* * *

After a bit of searching, and admittedly getting a little lost, I spotted Yui-senpai, walking on her own with her jersey jacket balled up in her hands. Her shoulders were hunched.

I ran towards her from behind, "Yui-senpai…!" I called as I approached.

She flinched, and slowly turned around to face me. Around her eyes were red. It looked like she'd been crying a little before I got there.

"M-Moeka-chan…" he mumbled, as I joined her, "…Thank you… for cheering us on today. I'm sorry, we totally messed up." She said, looking embarrassed and defeated;

"In actuality… we didn't train nearly as much as we should have, this year. We slacked a lot on morning practice, and I never did a good enough job as captain to wrangle them all together. I guess that's why we lo—"

I cut her off, pulling her into a quick hug. She stiffened, surprised, and I pulled back.

"You did your best with what you had though, right?" I asked her, and she blinked down at me; "I only got to see a bit of the match, but Yui-senpai, you and the other girls never gave up, regardless of the odds! I was moved!" I told her, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

"And, up, from what I saw, I think you're a great captain! Being able to motivate a team even in the worst scenarios is an important quality to have, I think." I added on.

Tears began to well up in the corner of Yui-senpai's eyes as well.

She laughed, and finally smiled, wiping at the corner of her eyes, "Thank you, Moeka-chan. You're a good friend." she thanked, and nodded; "Oh… what happened with the boys' match?" she asked me.

"I'm not sure. I left in the middle of it to catch yours…" I trailed off, as my phone buzzed in my pocket; I fished it out and read the text from Hinata, and smiled, "They won their match. They'll be playing a second one today." I replied to Yui-senpai's question.

Yui-senpai's smile grew, "Finally, some good news…!" she said.

I nodded and smiled to her, "Yeah!" I agreed.

"You should go back to them. Thanks for coming after me. I'll be fine on my own." She told me.

"Are you sure?" I asked, tilting my head. She nodded insistently. "Alright… chin up! Tell the girls I thought they did great, and to keep at it!" I said, and separated from her.

She put on a smile for me and looked like she had cheered up a little, but I knew she still had to be feeling bummed. I hope that she'll be okay. I hope that she won't give up like I did.

Karasuno girls aren't so weak. I want to become a stronger person too.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Hm… Even though I got just about everything I wanted to do in this chapter done, I feel unsure about it. I'm wondering if it was too rushed…? But then again, the Tokonami match felt rushed in the anime too.**

 **I hope you liked it! Date Tech's first appearance! More Aoba Johsai! And more Yui!**

 **There was another scene I'd originally wanted to get in, but I couldn't figure out how to. I'll work it in later.**

 **Hope you like! Thanks for all your reviews so far, I'm glad you've been enjoying this! x3**


	26. 26 The Iron Wall

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 26 – The Iron Wall**

After parting ways with Yui, I quickly made my way back to the area Hinata had told me the team was resting. I saw that they were currently stretching; to keep their muscle reflexes alert and avoid aches. As I made my way over to the boys, I waved.

"I'm back! Congratulations on winning your first match!" I said to them with a smile and most of them nodded and smiled in return.

"Thanks!" Suga-senpai said, grinning.

"So how did the girls' match go?" Daichi-senpai asked me, and I sighed sadly, shaking my head. This caused Suga-senpai and Daichi-senpai to frown.

"They didn't make it." I told them.

"That's a shame…" Daichi-senpai sighed.

"Do you think they'll go for it the next time?" Suga-senpai asked.

"I don't know. They're probably feeling pretty down after their loss. Their morale will be shot." Daichi-senpai replied.

"Unless Michimiya can do something." Suga-senpai agreed.

Hinata, having finished his stretches and spotting me, came bounding over, "Mogami-san! We won our first match!" he said to me excitedly.

I smiled and nodded, "You told me in your text. Congratulations." I said to him.

"Yeah, but we _won_!" Hinata reiterated.

"We get it already. Can you stop being so annoyingly hyper…? Save that insane stamina for the match, and save my ears while you're at it." Tsukishima-san snarked as he cleaned out his ear with his pinky.

Ignoring the blond, Hinata continued, "So since we won our first match, Kageyama said we get to play another match!" he said.

He'd already told me this too in his text messages, but he was clearly excited about it. Rightly so - This'd be the first time he'd advance past the first match, after all.

I grinned, "I'll bet that feels great. Keep doing your best, okay? I can watch the whole match this time." I said and he nodded.

"Watch me! I'll score lots of points! Kageyama!" Hinata then turned to the dark-haired Setter, "Send me a lot of tosses in the next match!" he said.

Kageyama-kun gave him a look, "I'll send you tosses _only_ when I think you can actually score a point. Don't get all entitled." He said and Hinata whined.

"Look who's talking. Coming straight from the King himself." Tsukishima-san snorted.

"Ahh?!" Kageyama glared at the tall blond.

"Oh, that's right. Who are we playing next, anyway?" I asked, finally realizing I didn't know yet.

"Date Tech." The answer came from Asahi-senpai, and his voice seemed daunted. I turned to look up at him, feeling concerned. I remembered the confrontation earlier today, when that scary guy from Date Tech zeroed in on him.

"Are you gonna be okay, Asahi-senpai?" I asked him.

He tried to put on a brave smile, "Oh? Um, I'll be fine… I think." He trailed off. That earned him a particularly strong slap on the back from Suga-senpai.

"Hey, we'll have none of that negativity around here! We're gonna win this match too, and have our redemption for last year." He said, as Daichi-senpai stepped up next to him, nodding.

Nishinoya-senpai slid towards us too, "Yeah! This time, I won't let the ball hit the ground! You do your job too, Ace!" Nishinoya-senpai said confidently. Asahi-senpai still looked uncertain.

"Senpai! You've already managed to come this far, and came back to the club even after having your confidence squashed. I know you can do it. You just need to believe in yourself, and in the team too!" I said to him.

Asahi-senpai gazed at me for a moment, before sighing and smiling; "You're right. It's not just me out there." He agreed, looking bashfully to his fellow third years, then to Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai. They all grinned back at him.

Daichi-senpai nodded, "Right! The match is in 15 minutes. Let's make sure we're ready to go!" he said, and everyone agreed, getting ready to head off.

I jumped when I felt a pat on my back, and turned to Suga-senpai, who was grinning down at me.

"You're pretty good at pep-talks, aren't you? Thank you for supporting us as always." He thanked me.

I blushed and nodded, "It's no problem! I did what anyone would have done." I said. He nodded, and went ahead, as Shimizu-senpai approached me.

"I'll help you put the banner up this time. Come on." Shimizu-senpai said and I nodded, following her up to the stands.

* * *

"Go, go, let's go! Let's go, Dateko!"

The one thing I hadn't been looking forward to for this match was definitely the opposing team's overzealous cheering squad. I frowned to myself discreetly, willing myself to block it out as Shimizu-senpai and I hung up our banner across the court from them.

Once we were done, Shimizu-senpai bid me farewell and I waved her off. Now it was just me and the banner.

I looked down on the court, watching as both teams entered. I noticed Hinata had been looking pumped and ready, up until he had a run-in of his own with Date Tech's Aone-san. He looked a lot more concerned after that, seeing up close the difference in height between him and the giant.

' _Hang in there, Hinata-kun…_ ' I thought to myself. Hopefully, with the size of that guy, he wouldn't be able to jump too high up…

Despite the intense atmosphere Date Tech's team and cheering squad gave off, Karasuno lined up at the start of the match relatively loose, after Nishinoya-senpai's actions and words broke the ice, so to speak.

"Thank you for the game!" both teams called out, bowing. They then ran to get into position, and the referee blew the whistle to begin the game.

Date Tech's Number 1 was serving first.

Daichi-senpai managed to receive it and send it back up for Kageyama-kun, who sent it straight to Hinata right off the bat, probably hoping to catch them off guard.

But Aone-san saw right through it, and with an agility I haven't expected, he came into position to block and jumped alongside that one with the straight brown hair…Futakuchi-san, I think his name was.

"Right on! Nice placement, Hinata!" Tanaka-senpai cheered, as Hinata managed to hit it off the edge of Aone-san's forearms, and it landed on the other side of the court.

Unperturbed, Aone-san merely turned away, but I couldn't help but smile. The team was off to a good start, scoring their first point.

It was Karasuno's turn to serve now, and Kageyama stepped up. He went into for a running jump serve, but accidently sent it straight for Date Tech's Libero, who sent it back up.

They attempted a spike in return, but Nishinoya-senpai also caught the ball and it was up in the air again. Tanaka-senpai bumped it up again, and Asahi-senpai called for a Back Attack.

He went for the kill, but unfortunately, Date Tech lived up to their reputation and blocked it, sending it back down on our side. We were now tied at 1 point each.

"Sorry! I'll get the next one, for sure!" Nishinoya-senpai said.

"Yeah. I'll make the next one count, too." Asahi-senpai agreed.

"Aww, come on, couldn't you act at least a bit more disheartened~?" Futakuchi-san whined, and their Number 2 smacked him on the head, telling him to stop talking like a thug.

In the next play, Date Tech managed to do the same again, but to my relief, they ended up getting a Foul for a Net Touch, and the point was Karasuno's.

I let out a huge sigh, thankful.

Following that, we managed to score another point, putting us two points in the lead, but that quickly changed, when Aone-san's Read Block scored another point for Date Tech.

Hinata seemed frustrated, but Kageyama-kun was cool and focused as always. They looked like they were relaying a plan of attack to each other, and Hinata seemed excited about it.

They're gonna do _that_ then…!

Hinata, without looking, ran as fast as he could to an open part of the net, and jumped as high as he could, swinging as hard as he could, and Kageyama-kun brought the ball to him.

Date Tech was visibly stunned, as Karasuno scored another point.

I smiled and cheered, "Nice Kill, Hinata-kun! Kageyama-kun! Get another!" I called out to them and the two of them turned to look at me and grin. Hinata send me two thumbs up, flushing happily for their successful Quick.

Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai then went in to ruffle Hinata's hair and compliment him, and I noticed Aoba Johsai passing by the court as they were in my field of vision. They must be setting up for their next match now.

I noticed Kunimi-san catching sight of me, and grabbing Kindaichi-san's jacket to get his attention and point me out.

As Kindaichi-san spotted me, I smiled and waved over to him a little bashfully, and his face became pink and he turned away. Kunimi-san just laughed at him.

I sighed and shook my head, turning my attention back to Karasuno's match.

It looked like Tsukishima-san, who had switched in for Nishinoya-senpai, had done something to get on Kageyama-kun's nerves and therefore Daichi-senpai's as well, and Tanaka-senpai was trying to break it up.

Hinata was up to serve next, but he unfortunately hit the net. Looks like he still needs to practice his serves, which is an endeavor easily said than done when it comes to the spike addict himself…

Next, Aone-san served, and Nishinoya-senpai received it cleanly, sending it over Kageyama-kun's way.

He tossed to Tsukishima-san, who scored a point, luckily. It seemed like Date Tech were anticipating another Quick.

Date Tech's Number 1 managed to score another point next though, getting it past Daichi-senpai and taking away the point difference we'd just made.

It continued that way for a while, each team scoring points in tandem, keeping the point difference the same no matter what.

The match was quickly looking to become an intense, tight one.

Now, Hinata was back to the front of the rotation, which meant there was a chance for another Quick attack, should Kageyama-kun decide to.

Futakuchi-san scored another point, getting it passed our blockers, and narrowing the point gap. And now, Aone-san was at the front of the rotation again.

Meaning Hinata would face off against that giant again.

I tightened my hold on the metal bar in front of me, biting my lip. I hoped that Hinata could get his spike through again.

Date Tech's serve was received by Nishinoya-senpai, but was sent further back; Kageyama-kun adapted, and tossed from further back, and Hinata still managed to hit it. Once again, Date Tech had been caught off guard.

Maybe they thought last time had been a fluke. ' _Foolish thinking_ ,' I thought to myself, smirking a little as I watched Date Tech call for a Time Out.

As happy as I was for Hinata, to score another point against Date Tech, now that they've done their Freak Quick twice, it won't be viewed as a fluke. They'll be expecting it now, and were probably going to start adapting to it just like Nekoma had. Kageyama-kun probably would realise that too.

They're going to have to pull out that Quick wisely now, to not let the opponent get too used to it.

"Ahh, hurry! Hurry! Moeka-chan~!" I suddenly heard Yui-senpai's voice and turned to see her and the rest of the girls' running over to join me in the stands.

I smiled and greeted them in return, as Yui-senpai came up next to me, and looked down on the court.

"Great! The boys are still playing!" she said, glad.

"Oh yeah, you're the girl who was cheering for us! Moeka-chan, was it? Do you go to our school? I think I've seen you around…!" said a taller girl with her light-brown hair tied into a ponytail; "I'm Aihara Mao, third year. You can just call me Mao." She introduced. I nodded in response to her questions.

"And I'm Aoki Manami, 3rd year! Manami is fine!" said another girl, the same height as Yui-senpai, with really short hair.

"And I'm Watabe, Nozomi. 2nd year." A girl with pig-tails like mine said with a small smile and a nod.

The twin girls with short dark bobs came forward next, "I'm Sudou Rinko! This is my little sister, Eiko! We're both in 2nd year." she said with a cheerful smile.

"Excuse you! You're only 15 minutes older!" laughed her sister Eiko, hiding her laugh behind her hand. Rinko just rolled her eyes as if to say that 15 minutes is still 15 minutes. Which was true, but still a cute and silly argument.

The smaller, shyer girl, who had been singled out mercilessly for her receives during their match introduced herself next, "I'm Sasaki Chizuru, a 1st year like you. Um, thanks for cheering for us." She thanked me.

I shook my head, smiling, "It's no problem. Are you feeling better?" I asked her.

She blushed, subconsciously rubbing at the corner of her eyes, "I'm all cried out," she laughed nervously, then turned to the match, "But I can't believe it. It looks like they're beating Date Tech…!" she said with a hopeful smile.

I nodded and turned back to the match, "Yeah, but it's been a tough match so far. They're really had to fight for their points. Date Tech definitely lives up to their nickname, The Iron Wall…! But we've had some secret weapons of our own, too." I told the girls.

"Ooh, like what? You're their manager right?" asked Manami-senpai.

"Assistant manager," I corrected, gesturing down to Shimizu-senpai sitting by sensei and Ukai-san, "As for their secret weapons… keep an eye on Number 10. He's my friend from Middle School, Hinata-kun, and Date Tech haven't been able to keep up with his and Kageyama-kun's Quicks so far." I told them.

"Eh, what's so special about a Quick…?" Mao-senpai asked.

I grinned mischievously, "You'll see! Just keep an eye on him." I insisted. The girls just looked at each other and shrugged, turning their attention to Hinata just in time.

"BRING IT OOOON…!" Hinata called out for the toss, and before Date Tech could catch it, the ball hit the court again, scoring another point.

"Wh-What was that…?" Yui-senpai gasped, shocked.

"A fast attack?" Manami-senpai added, just as surprised.

"I told you! He's great, isn't he?" I said with a laugh, happy.

Mao-senpai sent a look my way, "You said he's your middle-school friend… but is that all he is?" she asked me coyly. I blushed.

"W-What do you mean by that, Mao-senpai…?" I asked her, feeling shy. She just smiled and shook her head, as a few of the girls giggled.

"Don't worry. We think it's pretty cute!" Yui-senpai smiled and patted my back.

"Yeah, Yui-chan is the same when it comes to Sawamura after all. Ooh, Sawamura said this...! Oh, did you hear what Sawamura did during Phys. Ed…? Sawamura's great, isn't he…?" Manami-senpai teased Yui-senpai, who blushed and yelled at them to shut up already.

I smiled a little, as Yui-senpai huffed and said they should get back to watching the match. Yui-senpai was so cute… Did she really like Daichi-senpai…?

And did I really look like that when I talked about Hinata…?

Feeling my face get hot, I looked back down at the game. Hinata was going in for another Quick, and Date Tech were marking him.

He through them off by going for a regular Quick, timing his jump to after they'd reached their maximum jumping height, and scored another point.

As the girls chattered around me about the match, I thought to myself.

People keep thinking that Hinata and I are dating… Was I really that obvious? Hinata had never said anything, so I'd thought…

I thought I did a good job of hiding how I felt.

Guess not, after all.

I gulped, swallowing and trying to will the heat in my cheeks away as I continued observing the match in silence.

* * *

Hinata went in for a Quick again, trying to throw off the blockers by changing his destination abruptly. But this time, Aone-san predicted it and chased after Hinata, jumping diagonally and successfully blocking.

After he landed, he let out a loud roar and I flinched.

Karasuno kept going, undeterred, and even as Hinata's next spike was blocked, Nishinoya-senpai got it back up.

They went in for another spike and Aone-san fell for Hinata's decoy, yelling out his jersey number as he jumped for a block. Only to realise the ball was going for Asahi behind Hinata a moment too late.

We scored another point…!

"Asahi-senpai, Nice!" I called out happily, as the girls around me and everyone else started cheering for Asahi-senpai's nice spike!

The match continued on with a good pace from then on, and before we knew it, Karasuno was nearly at Set Point, the score sitting at 23 – 19. We couldn't relax yet though.

This is when it really started counting. One wrong move and Date Tech could overtake us!

It was Tsukishima-san's serve. The play went on until Hinata got a One Touch after blocking Date Tech's spike, giving us a Chance Ball.

The ball was bumped back up and sent to Kageyama-kun, who tossed the ball for Hinata. Hinata managed to bounce the ball off the side of Futakuchi-san's forearms, scoring another point. Set Point.

"T-This is amazing… Set Point for us against the famous Date Tech…?" Yui-senpai murmured, amazed. I only nodded.

Yeah. The match was going well, despite the overwhelming reputation of Date Tech, and we'd even managed to get to Set Point.

Just because we _were_ at Set Point though, didn't mean that we were in the clear. They could turn it around, right now, and get a Deuce, then win the Set out of nowhere for all we knew.

And there was still a second Set that we had to win if we wanted to come out of this match victorious.

Date Tech tried for another spike, but it was received expertly by Daichi-senpai and sent back up in the air.

As the ball came down over Kageyama-kun, he got into position, and Hinata called out for another toss enthusiastically.

Aone-san once again focused in on Hinata's jump, but the ball was sent instead to Asahi-senpai for a Back Attack.

Asahi-senpai made the Set-winning point as the ball bounced off the Libero's shaky receive. I gasped happily, and cupped my hands by my mouth.

"Asahi-senpai, you did it!" I cried out to him, happy for him.

He glanced up to me, panting lightly, and smiled a little shyly, rubbing the back of his head and nodding.

He then went to join the others for the between-set team huddle.

I smiled happily.

I hope they can keep this up. How incredible would it be if they won two sets in a row against the all mighty Iron Wall?!

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Here's another chapter for you~ This seemed like a good cut-off point for the chapter.**

 **And I managed to squeeze in another HinaMi moment, yay! :D And I've decided on the love rival now, btw! He had a brief appearance in this chapter, see if you can spot him, heheh!**

 **It was too cute to resist and I was getting a tonne of plot bunnies, ok? xD**

 **Next time, we'll be continuing the Date Tech vs Karasuno match~!**


	27. 27 Tenchi Gaeshi

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 27 – Tenchi Gaeshi.**

After a brief intermission, everyone was getting into position for the 2nd Set of the Karasuno – Date Tech match.

I blinked curiously, noticing that they'd changed their rotation up ever so slightly. They had moved the rotation around 2 plays ahead. Ah! This was probably to try to avoid Aone-san marking Hinata so closely in this set!

But that didn't rule out the odds of being blocked… and now the others had to worry about Aone-san blocking them.

Still, this could be a good move nonetheless.

" _Go, go, let's go! Let's go, Dateko! Go, go, let's go! Let's go, Dateko!"_

I pouted. Great! The obnoxious Date Tech Cheer Squad started up again…

Well that could only mean one thing.

"Looks like the 2nd Set is starting!" Yui-senpai said, leaning forward in anticipation. The rest of the girls and I nodded in agreement, focusing our attentions on the resuming match.

Tanaka-senpai was up first to serve.

Date Tech received it, bumping it up cleanly and bringing it towards their Setter, who passed it on to one of their Spikers. They were able to make it through Karasuno's defense and scored the point.

Karasuno quickly brought it back around though, in the next play, using Hinata's Decoy position to sent a toss Asahi-senpai's way. He scored, narrowly avoiding an incoming diagonal block from Aone-san.

The next play had one of Date Tech's Spikers get past Kageyama-kun's block, only to be bumped up by Tanaka-senpai. Kageyama-kun sent a toss towards Asahi-senpai again, but this time, he was blocked. The point went to Date Tech.

Next up to serve was Date Tech who sent it flying towards what looked like an empty space on the court.

But Daichi-senpai swooped in at the last second and swiftly bumped it back up. Next to me, Yui-senpai and the other girls cheered happily for him.

But the situation was quickly changed when that receive went towards another blocked spike. Date Tech was staying ahead in points, but it was still close.

Our next play closed the gap between points and put us at a draw for 4 points each.

It was now Hinata's turn to be in the front of the rotation again. Perhaps he could score us some points.

No, I had faith that he could do something. If not directly, then he could help indirectly with a Decoy jump.

Date Tech's player got a Spike through Hinata's one-man block, but Tsukishima-san shakily bumped it back up. Kageyama-kun went in catch the free-flying ball, as Hinata yelled out for a toss and jumped.

Kageyama sent him the toss and he got it by Date Tech's players, scoring a point. Now, we were in the lead.

I cheered quietly, pumping my fists with rosy cheeks. The girls started giggling at my reaction and I blushed harder.

Clearing my throat nervously, I smiled bashfully at them, before looking at the match.

From Hinata's spike onwards, Karasuno managed to use his Decoy ability to score a couple more points in a row, pulling further ahead.

Date Tech's Assistant Coach called for a Time Out, and the match paused, both teams going to their respective end of the court to speak with their coaches.

I glanced over towards the scoreboard, seeing that the score currently stood at 10 – 12 to Karasuno.

So far, so good - We were about halfway to a possible Match Point.

"I hope it's this easy…" I murmured to myself under my breath, and bit my lip, looking down towards Karasuno's huddle.

* * *

After the Time Out had run out, Karasuno resumed the match with Hinata's Serve. They went on to go through a few plays, taking turns in scoring points, until Date Tech was just one point behind, at 16 – 17.

They weren't going to make it easy after all.

If Karasuno could keep the advantage though, it would still be okay.

Up next to Serve was Date Tech's Futakuchi-san; he went in with a running jump, before sending it Karasuno's way. Tanaka-senpai managed to get it back up, and had Kageyama-kun cover it again as it was slightly off on trajectory.

As Kageyama-kun got to the ball, Asahi-senpai called for the toss and my attention turned to him.

Despite the stories I'd heard about Karasuno's one-sided match beating from Date Tech last year, where every one of Asahi-senpai's spikes were brutally blocked, this year seemed to be different.

And not just because of Hinata and Kageyama-kun's combination attach, or the new Decoy tactic. Asahi-senpai seemed like a more confident spiker than what I'd initially seen from him when we first met. It was a miraculous transformation, really!

He'd been a really reliable player so far – deserving of the title of Ace…!

 _Bam!_

…

Huh…?

"RAAAAAAAAGHH!" Aone-san's roar caused my heart to jump up in my throat, as I pucker my lips in shock, eyes wide.

Aone-san, at the last second, had changed the angle of his block to block Asahi-senpai's spike at the last second, sending it back down to smack noisily against Karasuno's side of the court.

And with that, Date Tech's cheering squad erupted into another period of loud chanting and water bottle drumming. I looked down to the court to Asahi-senpai, anxious.

What kind of reaction would senpai make…? I had to hope he was taking it well.

The scoreboard stood at 17 – 17. It could go either way from this moment.

If things ended up like last year, maybe Asahi-senpai wouldn't be able to recover a second time.

I sucked in a breath. I had to do something. And this was literally the only thing I could do, being unable to join them on the court.

"Push, Push, Karasuno! You can do it, Karasuno!" As I cheered as loud as I could, I felt the startled eyes of the girls team on me only momentarily, before they quickly repeated the same cheer after me.

I looked to them as they did, a smile spreading across my face. They were grinning too, some of them blushing at the attention we were undoubtedly getting.

I nodded, and we repeated the cheer a third time, altogether.

By now, the boys were looking up at us, surprised, but only slightly so. Maybe they were getting used to my random outbursts. It's not something I have thought I'd become known for… if Michiko could see me now….

She'd never stop teasing me for it.

But it was worth it, seeing the reinvigorated smiles of the boys. They nodded up at us, before quickly turning back to the match.

"Geez," we heard a nearby male comment, "What, do they think they can stand up against Date Tech's cheering squad. Not a chance…!" he laughed.

His friend next to him seemed to agree, "They must be embarrassed." He added.

Mao-senpai glared at them, and they flinched, muttering about how they'd been heard. Like they were even being subtle.

"It's fine. Let them talk. We'll keep supporting the boys anyway, right?" I said to Mao-senpai, Yui-senpai and the rest of the girls. They nodded in agreement.

This time, when Asahi-senpai went for a spike against Date Tech's block, he managed to get through, across the tips of Aone-san's fingers. They started getting the ball ready for a spike of their own, from Aone-san.

I clenched my fists, "Come on…!" I muttered.

The spike bounced back off Tsukishima-san's blocked and I hissed out a 'Yes!'

"Yes!" Yui-senpai echoed, a bit louder, and Sasaki-san continued.

"Next is to widen the gap!" she commented. We all nodded.

Tanaka-senpai scored the next point, bringing us ahead by a point again. We were getting close to 20 now. If all went well, this set _would_ be ours… If.

And now, Hinata was in the front of the rotation again. Could he give us enough of an edge…? He certainly looked ready to try.

' _You can do it, Hinata-kun…!_ ' I thought to myself, nodding resolutely.

It was Tsukishima-san's serve; it was received by Date Tech's Libero, and bounced back up a second time, before their Spiker went in for the Kill.

Asahi-senpai received it, and Kageyama-kun went in to cover it.

"BRING IT TO ME!" Hinata yelled out enthusiastically, and Kageyama-kun sent it his way. Hinata scored his point, and I cheered.

"Nice Kill, Hinata-kun!" I called out, happy. That made us two points ahead. Just 4 more points and we'd be at Match Point…! "You can do it, Karasuno!" I called out again, and the girls' echoed me.

The Date Tech player with bleached hair managed to score next, closing the gap a little, and their cheering squad began enthusiastically cheering 'Kamasaki'.

I pouted, "Can't they tone down their cheering a little…" I groaned, and Manami-senpai laughed at me.

"Isn't that a little bit like 'pot calling the kettle black'?" she asked me and I blushed a little, turning to her.

"I-It's different. We could count our group on my fingers. Meanwhile, they've g-got an army for a cheering squad…!" I tried to reason, and the girls only shrugged and smiled at me weirdly.

After a few more plays, the gap between points hadn't gotten any less narrow, with only two points in between, but Karasuno still had the lead. 22 points.

I loosened my shoulders, feeling like I could finally confidently call this match. Just three more points. The fact that we were in the lead didn't seem to stop the cheer squad though.

I felt Yui pat my shoulder and I blinked up at her; she leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Let's cheer for Azumane together, okay?" she said to me with a smile.

"For Asahi-senpai?" I repeated, and she and a few of the other girls nodded in response. "Okay!" I nodded with a smile, agreeing.

We turned back to the match to see Kageyama-kun already tossing the ball. Hinata jumped up in a Decoy move, and the ball sailed past him towards Asahi-senpai.

As he spiked the ball down, it bounced off Date Tech's captain's arms, and hit the court.

3… 2… 1…!

"NICE KILL, AZUMANE!" the girls around me cheered, and a beat after them, I added mine.

"THAT'S KARASUNO'S ACE~!" I cheered, with a big smile. The girls agreed, patting my shoulders and smiling, as Asahi-senpai blushed and looked up at us, before bashfully bowing his head in thanks.

' _It's just one point until Match Point now…!_ ' I thought, watching with eager anticipation as the match went into the next play.

Nishinoya-senpai received the next serve from Date Tech cleanly.

The ball went over to the other side of the court, but eventually made its way back into Kageyama-kun's possession. He sent the ball to Asahi-senpai again, but out of nowhere that bleached-hair guy Kamasaki did a diagonal jump block.

Date Tech's players rejoiced their point heartily.

And then, Aone-san came into the front of their rotation again.

Kageyama-kun got ready to toss; Hinata called out for it to be sent to him before leaping to the air, and was given his chance. It bounced off Aone-san's arms and I almost yelped in dismay, until I'd saw what had happened, and strangled out a relieved laugh.

The ball had indeed bounced off of Aone-san's arms, but it had also hit off the net and tumbled down to his feet on Date Tech's side.

That was a close one…!

But thanks to that little miracle, they didn't close in on us on the points, and now, it was Match Point!

Against Date Tech…!

"This is incredible…! Who'd have thought…? Against the prestigious Date Tech!" Yui-senpai said happily beside me.

"Go for it, guys! It's just one more point!" I called out to them, and Yui-senpai nodded in agreement.

But now, Hinata was in the back of the rotation. He was also up to serve. So it was up to our other Spikers to try and get in that last point, or to successfully block Date Tech.

How would this next play go…

Time to find out.

"Nice Serve!" I heard some of our boys on the reserve call out to Hinata, as he threw up the ball, and hit his serve.

I cringed along with Hinata, as his serve went out of bounds. I put my palms to my face and groaned, before peeking out from between my fingers as I listened to Hinata apologise to Daichi-senpai, while Kageyama-kun hurled insults with no weight to them his way.

I glanced at the rotation for Karasuno.

At the point it was now, Asahi-senpai was still up front. Yes. In tough situations, it's best to rely on your reliable Ace.

' _I believe you can do it Asahi-senpai! This year will definitely be your redemption…!_ ' I nodded to Asahi-senpai, watching as the next play began.

This could well be the final play of the match.

It was Date Tech's serve, and they sent the ball hurtling over. However, Nishinoya-senpai was there to reliably bounce it back up, and it went to Kageyama-kun.

Tsukishima-san went in to spike, and sent it over the blockers before they could jump high enough.

It was received by Date Tech's Libero, and went back up into play for their side. Their Setter tossed it to Aone-san, and Tanaka-senpai managed to send it up again for Kageyama-kun to toss.

He sent it again to Karasuno's Ace.

Asahi-senpai went in for the spike, but it was blocked and was sent hurtling backwards where nobody stood to catch it.

Daichi-senpai whirled around, turning his attention to the ball and was about to chase after it. Nishinoya-senpai got to the ball first, catching it with a Flying Fall receive.

"Cover it!" senpai yelled after getting up.

I let out a yelp of relief, smiling wide. Thank goodness for Nishinoya-senpai…!

"Left! Give me one more!" Asahi-senpai called out for the toss. Kageyama-kun bounced the ball up, accurately sending it Asahi-senpai's way, and the third-year ran in for the spike.

"Senpai, go for it!" I called out, gripping the bars of the railing in front of me.

The ball was flying a little too close to the net. And Date Tech had three of its players lined up to create a wall of blockers, including Aone-san…! Would Asahi-senpai be able to pull it off.

' _He's Karasuno's Ace…_ ' I thought to myself as I nodded and smiled.

Asahi-senpai, one handed, went to push the ball over the net, facing off against the two handed block of Aone-san.

"It's a joust!" those guys from earlier gasped out, "Don't let him beat you, long-haired guy!" they added.

As if angered, and fueled by those words, Aone-san pushed through Asahi-senpai's hand and the ball flew back.

"Oh no…!" Sakaki-san gasped from behind me, putting her hands to her mouth.

Bu yet again… Nishinoya-senpai saved the day. With agility and reflexes we'd come to know him for, he swiftly moved his leg towards the ball, and managed to catch it.

"…with his foot…!?" I laughed out, surprised and pleased. There was still a chance for to win in this play, yet.

"Wow...!" Yui-senpai gasped, as the gymnasium erupted into cheers for that great receive.

"Nishinoya, nice follow-through!" Asahi-senpai called to Karasuno's Libero, not phased by being blocked. He quickly began moving again, unperturbed.

And then, someone called out for another toss, and I turned to the reserves area in surprise. Suga-senpai…!

Next, it was Asahi-senpai that called out for the toss from Kageyama-kun, who obliged.

"Go, Asahi!" Suga-senpai called out.

"Blast through them, Asahi!" Daichi-senpai followed up.

Spurred on by the third-years support, the girls and I joined in, calling out "Go!"

Asahi-senpai hit the ball as best he could, but was blocked by Aone-san and Futakuchi-san. However, the path of the flying ball was different this time. Instead of flying back to Karasuno's side, it flew along the net, and bounced on the top of the net.

The fate of the match would be decided by which side if fell to. I watched with eager anticipation.

…

To Date Tech's side…!

Futakuchi-san dove for the ball, hoping to bump it back up, but it was no use. He couldn't make it in time.

The ball bounced off the floor of the court.

And the whistle was blown.

The match ended, with 22 – 25 to Karasuno.

This time, it was Asahi-senpai roared out a victory cry. A cry that prompted me to tears, as my legs gave out and I fell back down into my seat, finally.

"Waah, are you okay…?" Sasaki-san gasped, as the other girls started cheering loudly for Karasuno's victory.

"Y-Yeah…!" I said, letting out a breath of hair I hadn't known I'd been holding. I giggled a little bit, rubbing at the corners of my eyes as I looked up to her, "Looks like it's my turn to cry…!" I added.

Sasaki-san smiled and laughed, tears budding at the corners of her eyes as well, "Happy tears are better than sad ones though, right?" she replied, as I nodded and got back up.

I'd gotten back up in time to see the two teams finishing up with shaking hands with each other. For some reason, Hinata and Aone-san were just standing there, shaking hands with each other still… really?

' _Aren't you scared, Hinata-kun…? So tall…!_ ' I thought, cringing.

"Sawamura! Sugawara! Azumane!" I heard Yui-senpai call over the third-year boys; as they gathered below us, she continued, "Congratulations on clearing round two!" she told them.

"Ah, Michimiya! I thought I heard the girls voices." Daichi-senpai nodded up to us girls.

Suga-senpai laughed, looking to Daichi-senpai, "Didn't you notice them?" he asked, and turned up to look at me, "Mogami-san was cheering pretty enthusiastically today too!" he grinned at me, laughing when my face heated up.

Asahi-senpai smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your support today, everyone! Mogami-san too." He said.

I smiled at that and nodded, "Asahi-senpai, I told you! I told you that you could do it, and today you guys got your redemption! Asahi-senpai and Daichi-senpai were both really cool, but today I got to see why your called the Ace!" I said with a smile.

"O-Oh… Um… Gee… Thank you, again." Asahi-senpai flushed under the praise; he likely felt it was undue, but that wasn't true. Daichi-senpai grinned and nodded in thanks.

"Moeka-san! What about me!?" Nishinoya-senpai asked, and Tanaka-senpai followed quickly after, asking the same thing.

I laughed, still blushing under the attention, and indulged them with some compliments. I then noticed Hinata standing a little bit away, fidgeting as if making up his mind.

Not a moment later, he ran over to join his senpai below us, "Mogami-san! We won again!" he said, and I smiled and nodded.

"Congratulations! You did so well!" I called down to him. Though I meant it for everyone who played today, I wanted him to know that I was especially proud of him. Hinata grinned happily.

Next to me, Yui-senpai nodded,

"Today was your revenge, right?" she said to her fellow third-years, who nodded with serious expressions, lifting their arms, fists balled.

"Yeah! And we'll keep on winning!" Daichi-senpai promised.

It sounds like a lot to promise, probably. Because there was no way of saying for sure how their next match would go. But even though Oikawa-senpai had said I was likely making a mistake by putting Karasuno on a pedestal, I didn't want to change my beliefs. I wanted to have faith in them until the end.

There's just something about the friends I've made in Karasuno that makes me want to cheer for them with all my might, no matter the odds.

Just like they did when Hinata's idol the Small Giant was playing all those years ago…

I really want to see them fly, all the way to Nationals, once again.

* * *

After clearing up the banner, bidding the girls' team farewell, and rejoining the boys, it had been decided that Karasuno would sit in the stands to watch what was left of Aoba Johsai and Oomisaki's match, as whoever won this match would end up being our next opponent.

What we learnt about an Aoba Johsai with Oikawa-san as their Setter from the start was sobering.

They had extremely smooth teamwork, which had been clear during the practice match but now it was undeniable. The synergy between Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san was especially amazing. Kageyama-kun had told us that it was because the two had apparently been on the same volleyball team since Elementary School. That's amazing.

Another thing to worry about was Oikawa-san's Service Ace, which we had seen an incredible streak of this time. Their opponents just crumbled under the brute force and superb control of Oikawa-san's Serves.

Everything I'd heard about him as a Setter, from second-hand knowledge, was true.

I don't think I'd ever be able to get on his level of skill…

I kept on thinking about this, on the bus-ride back to Karasuno, as I glanced out at the orange hues of sunset.

It was then that I got thirsty, and went to open my duffel bag, only to find it was slightly opened. Slightly curious, I opened it all the way.

As I dug around my duffel bag to retrieve my water battle, I found a scrap of paper that I'm sure wasn't there before. Carefully, I secretly opened the scrap to see what was written on it.

I blinked at the piece of paper for a few seconds, unsure if I was seeing the scrawl of digits, followed by an address and a caricature of a smiley face with its tongue sticking out in the bottom corner.

I don't believe it. It couldn't be him again, right?

' _Oikawa-san is a persistent one…_ ' I thought to myself, with a muffled chuckle, putting the scrap back into my bag and taking a gulp of water.

Well… Who knows, right? Maybe it'll come in handy.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: I dunno, I don't know if this chapter is my** _ **best**_ **work, but I think it's okay? I might tweak it later, maybe~**

 **This chapter's title is inspired by the lyrics to the 1** **st** **Ending of Haikyuu. Some of their lyrics translate to "That we may get lost, mess up and trip along the way ~ But we'll be smiling when the end comes ~ We can't let that day we cried go to waste, right?" and the last line is "It's Our Revenge." I felt it fitting to Karasuno's victory against Date Tech following their loss the previous year.**

 **And yes, I decided to go through with that last scene. Like Moeka said, it could come in handy to have his digits. ;)**

 **Thank you for all the lovely support you've given this fanfic so far! I'm super grateful! Let me know what you thought of this chapter?**


	28. 28 Service Ace

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ , and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 28 – Service Ace.**

It was the evening before the big match, where we would face off against Aoba Johsai a second time. But this time, however, we would have to face off against Oikawa-san from the start.

Coach Ukai ran the team through the formation they would be using tomorrow, and everyone participated seriously. After everything was tidied away and everyone was changed, we started leaving for the night.

I was exiting the gym with Hinata, and noticed he was looking around with a serious expression.

"Hinata-kun, what're you looking for?" I asked him.

"Kageyama. I need to do something." He replied, and I blinked.

I glanced to the right of the gym, and I noticed Kageyama-kun turn at the corner just in front of our senpai just in time, "Oh, he just turned the corner there, Hinata-kun…!" I told him.

"Thanks…!" he said quickly, and started running after him.

Feeling curious, I jogged to the corner, joining the third-year senpai.

Hinata had stopped Kageyama-kun, "Hey, Kageyama. You'll end up with permanent frown lines in your teens." He told the taller boy.

"Huh?!" Kageyama-kun growled at him, offended.

Hinata paused a bit, before continuing, "We're gonna overthrow the Grand King tomorrow." He told him, and I sighed and smiled at them.

"What's going on?" Asahi-senpai asked, blinking over at them.

"Looks like a little pep talk to me." I replied as Hinata continued, talking about how they were going to be on TV so Kageyama-kun needed to learn to make more pleasant expressions; "Or at least, Hinata-kun's version of one…!" I giggled a little, behind my hand.

The third-years 'ah'd', understanding, and wearing smiles of their own.

I turned to them, "I'll be cheering you guys on again tomorrow, so make sure you guys are well-rested and ready, please!" I told them, and they nodded.

Daichi-senpai patted my shoulder, smiling, "Thank-you for your care as always, Mogami-san." He said with a nod.

"We'll do our best! Hopefully, this time I'll get on the court too!" Suga-senpai said, pumping a fist.

Asahi-senpai scratched his cheek, "Well, I hope things go as well as they have been going so far." He said. Suga-senpai smacked his back.

"Of course it will! We've got the best cheer leader after all!" Suga-senpai told him.

Asahi-senpai blushed, embarrassed, "I-I guess so…!" he said, and gave me a bashful nod.

I smiled and nodded to them, and then went up ahead to join Hinata, who Kageyama was now moving on from.

"Ready to go?" I asked Hinata. He'd promised to walk me to the bus-stop again tonight.

He nodded, "Hey, do you not have a bike?" he asked me and I blinked.

"Eh? I had one when I was younger but it's too small for me now." I replied, "Why?" I added, tilting my head curiously as we started walking to his bicycle.

He hummed, looking up at the starry sky, "Hmmm… it's just… if you'd had one, we could've gone to and from school all the way is all…!" he said.

I gasped, "I couldn't bike over those mountains like you do every day! And you get up so early to do that…!" I said, shaking my head rapidly.

"It's not so bad when you get used to it. Do you… not wanna go together?" he asked me, pouting a little.

"It's not that…!" I said, and blushed, looking down as we arrived at the bike racks and he unlocked his. "I-It's just… well, I would like to. B-But bikes are out of my price-range right now, you see…!" I said, laughing nervously.

It's not really… I can afford one if I can get an advance on my allowance from my parents, but… Although I really want to take him up on his offer, at the same time, the idea makes me nervous too…!

My heart was thumping loudly in my chest. I was glad Hinata couldn't hear it too.

"Aww… Well, okay." He said, and pulled his bike along with him, "Let's go? We need to move if we wanna catch your bus. Or you could stand on the back of my bike!" he offered, grinning at me.

"That's dangerous…! Thank you though, but I'll just get the bus. Let's go." I said to him and he nodded.

"Good point." He said, and we were off. My heart was still beating so fast as we walked together.

* * *

The night and early morning passed before I knew it, and here we were already, at Sendai City Gymnasium once again for the second day of preliminaries. I was already up in the stands, with the banner safely secured and hanging over the barricades.

Before the match, I had presented the team with some honey-soaked lemon slices that I had prepared the night before, to which I received many grateful and pleased responses from the boys. They ate a few, and saved the rest for after the match when their energy levels would be low.

Just like yesterday against Date Tech, Seijoh seemed to have come with their own cheering squad army.

" _Go for it! Go, go, go, go, Seijoh!_ "

It seemed like many bigger schools seemed to have one of their own. I hoped sometime soon Karasuno could have one too. Of course I would always cheer for them too! It's just that it was nice having others to cheer for them with too, like when the girls' team joined me last time. They couldn't come this time though, as they'd already been eliminated and needed to attend classes.

Both team captains, Daichi-senpai and Oikawa-san were currently meeting for the start of match handshake, observed by the referee.

"Oh! I recognize you!" a guy's voice said behind me and I jumped with surprise before turning to see two guys that seemed to be in their later twenties. One had short black hair with a centre-parting and wore glasses. The other had died hair, and wore a black hoodie. They looked familiar.

"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten us already…! We were from the Neighbourhood Association team Karasuno had a practice match with a few weeks ago." The one with dyed hair reminded, exasperated.

I gasped, putting my hands in front of my mouth. So that's why they were familiar!

The glasses wearing one smiled, "I'm Shimada. From Shimada Mart!" he reintroduced himself, before nudging his friend to also do so.

"And I'm Takinoue from Takinoue Electronics." He said with a nod.

"Right…! I'm Mogami Moeka. Sorry about that…!" I bowed, flustered. I can't believe I forgot about them… how embarrassing!

They shrugged, "Anyway, Date Tech also had a good amount of support, but this is different, I think." Takinoue-san said, looking out over the court.

"Ready, and… Oikawa-kun~ You can do it!" a small group of girls all cheered together, making all three of you jump and turn to look at them.

"I think you're right about that." Shimada-san agreed.

I sighed out a bit. Well Oikawa-san _was_ a pretty popular guy according to word of mouth… I wonder how those girls would react if they knew I had his number. But it wasn't as if I was trying to brag about that. It was pretty much forced on me.

Makes me wonder why Oikawa-san was so set on me having his number. What was he aiming for, with me?

I turned my attention to the boys on my team, and saw that a few of them looked quite upset that girls were cheering for him. It was the usual second-year suspects, of course.

It came to be time for Karasuno's turn to do warm-ups and spiking practice

The referee blew his whistle and Seijoh's players cleared off the court and Karasuno took their place.

I felt like someone had their eyes on me and I blinked, before looking around. I finally found the person looking and discovered it was Kindaichi-san, quietly watching me.

He flushed when he was caught looking, and looked away for a moment, scratching his cheek, before looking back again and awkwardly waving a little.

I smiled and waved back and he nodded, before grabbing his water bottle and taking going to join the other Seijoh players as he drank. His cheeks were still red, and some of his team-mates slapped his back and said something that got him riled up again.

"They've got enough enthusiasm." Shimada-san said as I turned my attention back to the two men I was with and watching Karasuno's players' warm-up.

"Hey, that reminds me. Has your apprentice improved at his serves?" Takinoue-san asked Shimada-san and I looked at them in surprise.

"Apprentice?" I repeated, curious.

Shimada-san rubbed the back of his neck, nodding; "Yamaguchi-kun approached me after that one practice match, and asked me to teach him the jump-float serve." He informed me, "You didn't know?" he asked.

"No, Yamaguchi-san hasn't said a word…!" I replied. He really hadn't said anything about this. I wondered why.

"Anyway, it's only been a week. He could probably fluke into them, but he's got a long way to go before he can summon a non-rotation ball." Shimada-san explained.

I hummed and looked down to where Yamaguchi-san was standing. He'd been trying hard too, on his own, as well. ' _Good for him._ ' I thought to myself with a small smile.

* * *

After the warm-ups were completed, it was finally time for the match to start, and everyone who was a starting player went to their respective position. Yamaguchi-san remained in reserves, alongside Suga-senpai. I hoped both of them would get their chance in this match as well.

Karasuno were serving first. Tsukishima-san took position, and did his serve.

"Tsukishima-san! Nice Serve!" I called out, as his ball sailed through the air. It was bumped up by Kunimi-san.

We all watched to see who Oikawa-san would set it to, but were totally caught off guard when he himself spiked. Nobody on Karasuno's side had enough time to react!

"What!?" I gasped, covering my mouth in surprise.

"A setter dump, right off the bat?!" Takinoue-san cried out; he and Shimada-san were just as surprised as everyone else. The stands erupted into cheers and Seijoh's cheering squad started up again.

It looked as though Oikawa-san said something that annoyed the more hot-headed of our players, before turning away and walking back.

The next one up to serve was Seijoh's Matsukawa-san. After being sent over, the ball was received by Daichi-senpai, who sent it back up.

Tanaka-senpai and Hinata enthusiastically ran in to spike, calling out for a toss, as the ball went to Kageyama-kun.

He sent it to Hinata, who got it over, but it was cleanly received by Hanamaki-san and the play continued.

"Argh! It was head on." Shimada-san sighed out.

"Hey, is Seijoh's Setter gonna dump it again?!" Takinoue-san said after noticing something. We turned our eyes towards Oikawa-san.

From the way he was running in, it indeed looked as if he was going to do the same thing again. But at the last second, he changed his position mid-air to one for Setting, and sent it to Iwaizumi-san.

Tanaka-senpai and Hinata had been fooled into marking Oikawa-san, leaving Iwaizumi-san unmarked. Nishinoya-senpai couldn't get there in time to receive the Ace's spike, and Seijoh took the point.

"Wow…" I murmured, amazed, as I gazed down at Oikawa-san. That 'Best Setter' award he earned in Middle School certainly was earned. He's definitely deserving of his title.

Almost makes me envious… my skills can't hope to match up at all.

"Oikawa-kun is so cool~" those two girls near to us suddenly started sobbing and I looked at them exasperatedly. Wasn't it Iwaizumi-san who scored that point?

Since Seijoh scored the point, Matsukawa-san got to serve a second time. Nishinoya-senpai caught this one and bumped it back up. As it went to Kageyama-kun, we watched in anticipation to see what kind of attack plan he would put into action.

Hinata was running in for the spike, as was Tanaka-senpai. Kindaichi-san went to mark Hinata, expecting one of their Freak Quicks, but then another possibility opened up, grabbing Seijoh's attention. Asahi-senpai ran in to do a Back Attack.

While their attentions were focused on these three possibilities, Kageyama-kun fooled them all by doing a Dunk of his own.

I let out an excited laugh, "Nice, Kageyama-kun!" I called out loudly to the boy, startling the two men beside me.

Amazing…! It feels like… All kinds of amazing Setters with incredible skills surround me. It's really humbling, if I'm honest.

I wonder if I'd have the nerves and smarts to pull off something like that so smoothly in a match…

…Ah, what am I thinking? I made my decision. I don't really have a right to be so indecisive, do I? That's a bad quality for a Setter to have anyway.

I let out a wistful sigh, and turned my gaze down onto the court again.

I was just in time to see Kageyama-kun strut away from Hinata with a rather odd, awkward walk, his arms swinging, and his face was red. Huh?

Ah. It was Kageyama-kun's turn to serve. Maybe I could ask what Hinata had said to him after the match…for now there were more important things to be concerned over. The match.

So far, we were only a few plays in, but Seijoh had a single point lead on Karasuno.

Kageyama-kun, who seemed tense, made his serve, and it was immediately clear that it was out. The Seijoh boys didn't even attempt to move for it.

I winced.

Kageyama's flub made it so that it was Oikawa-san's turn to serve. This could be bad. We all knew that Oikawa-san's serves were a force to be reckoned with.

Oikawa-san aimed his serve right for Nishinoya-senpai, who seemed ready to take it on.

Nishinoya-senpai swiftly adjusted his position to the side, and caught Oikawa-san's serve!

"Yes…!" I gasped out, pumping my fists, before leaning forward and grasping the railing again. I heard those girls whining about how senpai caught Oikawa-san's ball and felt pride bubble up in my chest. A grin spread across my face.

Since Nishinoya-senpai got it up, it went to Kageyama-kun again. Hinata went running in for a spike, calling out for a toss, and Seijoh turned their attention to him.

Kageyama-kun diverted their attention by making it look as if he were going to toss behind him instead, and it worked. When he tossed to Hinata, they were caught off guard, and Karasuno earned a point.

"Nice! Kageyama-kun! Hinata-kun! Nice kill!" I called out to them and Hinata grinned and waved up at me, before turning to his senpai to chat.

"Did you see what happened on the right?" Shimada-san said to his friend with a smirk, as the two lounged over the railing lazily.

"Yeah. Wasn't that a trick that Nekoma's Setter pulled, where he distracted them with a glance?" Takinoue-san agreed.

Tanaka-senpai was up next to serve; his serve was caught by Seijoh's Libero. Kindaichi-san was going in for the next spike. Hinata tried to mark him, but Kindaichi-san's jumping height was too much for him, and the ball sailed over his head. Seijoh scored the point.

Iwaizumi-san went up to serve next, and Daichi-senpai caught it.

"Sorry! Cover it!" he called out when the ball went slightly off-course.

"Yes sir!" Kageyama-kun said, and went after it, as Hinata went in and called out for a toss.

Hinata had played decoy again, effectively drawing in the markers, and instead, Asahi-senpai scored the point. Now if only we could score a few more in a row, then we could get ahead in points. Seijoh still had a lead on us.

The whistle blew suddenly and I blinked in surprise, looking around for the reason.

Huh? It looked like Seijoh were calling a Time Out… but _why_? I didn't have a good feeling…

* * *

As soon as the Time Out was over, it was Seijoh's serve, and Kindaichi-san was the one to deliver it. It bounced of Hinata's arms, scoring a point. I winced a little.

"D-Don't mind, Hinata-kun…!" I called out, as Kageyama-kun yelled at him from a distance and Tanaka-senpai slapped Hinata's back in a way I think was meant to be reassuring. It just looked like it knocked the air out of him, to me.

Kindaichi-san got another serve, for Hinata's flub.

Asahi-senpai tried to receive it, but was also unable to do it. I blinked, a bit confused. What…?

Another serve was sent by Kindaichi-san, to Asahi-senpai again, and again, it bounced off incorrectly, giving Seijoh another point.

"Wh-what was that…?" I whispered.

"He's not serving like Oikawa-kun, so why can't the opponent receive it?" the two girls nearby asked each other.

At this, Takinoue-san cleared his throat aggressively, getting the girls' and my attention; "Ah yes, about that! When the Setter is in the back row, he may not get closer to the front than the players in the front row until the serve is made. That's why he must move quickly to get to net side position the moment the opponent serves the ball." He explained, before glancing to check we were still listening.

He continued, directing our attention to the action on the court again, "The receive is momentarily delayed where the players crisscross, and therefore it is easy to make mistakes. But as long as they know where the serve is coming… it's not impossible to receive." He concluded, as we saw Asahi-senpai finally receive the ball correctly.

I let out a sigh of relief, watching as Kageyama-kun sent the ball to Daichi-senpai, who finally scored us a point back.

But Seijoh had already widened the gap in points with Kindaichi-san's Service Aces already. I glanced over at him briefly, before turning my gaze to Karasuno's side.

Kageyama-kun was looking back and forth; he looked a little antsy.

Seijoh made their serve, which Daichi-senpai received, and the ball went to Kageyama-kun, who I watched carefully.

He went for another dump, but Oikawa-san easily predicted it and blocked it. Seijoh got another point.

"Eh…?!" I gasped. Why would Kageyama-kun have made a move like that in the first place? What is he thinking…?

The scores now stood at 9 – 4 to Seijoh.

The next play lead to Tanaka-senpai going in for a spike, hopeful to start on closing that gap… he did it! A point for Karasuno!

"Four more points and we'll turn it around!" I heard Tanaka-senpai cheer, turning to Hinata, who agreed energetically. Oikawa-san just laughed lightly at them, saying something too quiet for me to hear.

The next play started up with Seijoh's serve, and Hinata called out for a toss. This time, it seemed that Seijoh were ready for it.

Kindaichi-san was suddenly jumping to block Hinata's spike, and he panicked, hitting it irregularly. He managed to get over, and Hanamaki-san couldn't catch it in time.

That was _too_ close…

"Kageyama, nice serve!" Tanaka-senpai called out to the Setter, as he got into position for the Serve. I could tell even from where I was standing, that he seemed tense.

He let out a deep breath, and threw the ball up, beginning his serve, and I watched him cautiously.

He threw it a bit too far forward, but recovered by making it a Soft Hit, hitting it with the heel of his palm. It landed just after the net and Hanamaki-san barely got it in time. Iwaizumi-san covered for him, bumping it up again, and Oikawa-san prepared to toss.

He sent it over the net, and as Kageyama-san got the first touch, I gasped in dismay. That meant he won't be able to toss in this play. Kageyama-kun…!

It didn't feel like he was thinking clearly, like he was getting flustered or something…!

Daichi-senpai ended up tossing the ball for Tanaka-senpai, but he was blocked, and Seijoh took the point again. I pursed my lips, watching anxiously.

How much worse could this go…?

I glanced over to see which Seijoh player was serving this time, and widened my eyes. Oikawa-san…!

I gulped quietly.

Oikawa-san took off for his first Jump Serve, and sent it towards Tanaka-senpai. With the force that the serve flew at, it bounced off Tanaka-senpai's arms and continued backwards.

"D-Don't mind! Let's go for the next point!" Daichi-senpai encouraged.

Oikawa-san went to serve again. But the referee blew his whistle, signaling that Karasuno had called for a Time Out.

* * *

After the Time Out ended, Oikawa-san was allowed to continue his Service Aces. Tanaka-senpai seemed motivated to make up for his previous failure.

He bravely dove for the ball, and managed to send it back up, but it flew to far towards the net, and Kindaichi-san jumped up to spike it back, getting it by Hinata's block.

Daichi-senpai continued to encourage Tanaka-senpai, and as Oikawa-san's next Serve came, senpai once again managed to get it up.

Hinata covered for him and bumped it up again for Tanaka-senpai to attempt a spike. But senpai was blocked by a wall of three.

"It's like they're specifically targeting Tanaka-senpai now…!" I said, furrowing my brows, and pouting a bit.

Coach Ukai hastily called for a second Time Out, using up both of them. Now we couldn't call for another one and this was only the first Set…!

Shimada-san and Takinoue-san also lamented this fact, next to me. Shimada-san slumped on the railings, holding his head;

"With volleyball, everything depends on keeping the ball in play, so nothing feels worse than the guilt and loneliness that comes from repeatedly flubbing the vital serve-receive. Then they add insult to injury by shutting out his spikes. Is the skinhead gonna be okay…?" he asked.

I frowned worriedly, as the boys gathered for the Time Out talk nearby us. As Tanaka-senpai walked by, I called out to him.

"Tanaka-senpai…!" I said, and he paused, looking up to me. I gave him my best smile, "You were just unlucky, this time, senpai! I still believe you can do it!" I told him, hoping it was encouraging me.

He pursed his lips, before smiling a little, nodding, and waving up to me, and then rushing to join the rest of the team. I watched him go.

"Did that help…?" I asked Shimada-san and Takinoue-san, hoping that it did.

"Perhaps. But it probably did make him feel at least a little better, I think." Takinoue-san said with a shrug and a smile and Shimada-san nodded in agreement.

When Tanaka-senpai rejoined the rest of the team, the first thing he did was slap his cheeks so hard that it was audible. He then bowed deeply to the rest of the team, apologizing profusely.

I watched as the rest of the team, Nishinoya-senpai especially, tried to tell him it wasn't completely his fault, and it couldn't be avoided.

"I failed to call for the toss!" Tanaka-senpai insisted, quieting them; "I freaked out for a second, damn it!" he said, and stood up from his bow, "I'll do all of my regretting once the match is done! I have no real redeeming qualities, so there's no use dragging down the team by caving over my own mistakes! I'll make the next one count!" Tanaka-senpai vowed, and I smiled a little.

"Looks like he was alright after all." Takinoue-san commented, and I nodded, relieved.

"I think what you said helped a bit too," Shimada-san said to me and I glanced over at him, "After all, guys love to show their strong side to a girl. Right, Yuusuke? You were the same back in high-school." He said, turning to his friend with a teasing grin.

The bleach-blond man blushed at the comment, and stuttered a "Sh-Shut it…!" back at Shimada-san, who laughed.

I giggled a little, hiding it behind my hand, before turning back down to look at Karasuno as the Time Out came to an end.

And it was _still_ Oikawa-san's serve… Even though the news that Tanaka-senpai hadn't crumbled under the pressure was great, we still had that Service Ace to worry about.

They had to break his streak somehow, and _soon_.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Sorry for the very slight delay! I had a busy weekend, preparing for a holiday I have coming up this month! I'm going to be away between the 19** **th** **of March and the 10** **th** **of April.**

 **I'm going to Japan! Aaaaah~! I've had it planned since around this time last year, actually. I'm so excited!**

 **And not only that, this fanfic is now nearly at 100 Reviews! That's so amazing…! I really, really appreciate it, you guys are the best! :')**

 **I hope you liked this chapter! I included a cute HinaMi moment, which I hope you liked too~**


	29. 29 Karasuno's Second Setter

**Disclaimer** : _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 29 – Karasuno's Second Setter.**

Karasuno had to break Oikawa-san's Service Ace streak, and soon, if they wanted to retake control over the match.

It was a nail-biting experience, watching as Oikawa threw the ball up and ran in for his Jump Serve, bolstered by the cheers of Seijoh's cheer squad.

Again, Oikawa-san sent the ball right to Tanaka-senpai. But this time, senpai was determined to change the flow of the match.

So determined, that he acted recklessly, and received the ball with his chest. I gasped, covering my mouth and widening my eyes at the sight.

The ball was falling…

But Hinata dived and received it, bouncing it back up, followed by a second bump from Kageyama-kun! The ball went flying back over to Seijoh's side.

That was close…

Oikawa-san caught it, and sent it to their Libero, who tossed it for Hanamaki-san. Hanamaki-san managed to spike it between the arms of Hinata and Daichi-san who had jumped to block it.

It was received by Nishinoya-senpai, and Kageyama-kun tossed the ball for…

"LEFT!" Tanaka-senpai called out for the toss, and I grinned, watching as Kageyama-kun sent the ball to him.

As Kunimi-san, Kindaichi-san and Iwaizumi-san jumped to block, Tanaka-senpai took to the air for the spike.

 _Wh-bam!_

The ball made it past Seijoh's blockers, and smacked off the floor of the court on their side.

Tanaka-senpai managed to break the flow of Oikawa-san's Service Ace!

"Tanaka-senpai! I told you that you could do it!" I called out to him happily as the boy yelled out happily. He glanced up towards me, grinned happily, and sent a peace sign my way.

I laughed and smiled, sending two peace signs right back at him.

He then proceeded boast to Hinata about it, who eagerly took in his words and praised him in return, before Daichi-senpai stepped in and reminded him it was his turn to Serve.

And so Tanaka-senpai went into position for his Serve.

I took a moment to look at the Scoreboards… 15 – 08 to Seijoh. Oikawa-san's undisputable skill in Setting and Serving had given his team a great advantage in this Set. We had to turn the tables somehow, but it wasn't going to be easy.

And I was still a little worried about how tense Kageyama-kun seemed.

Tanaka-senpai made his Serve, and it was received on Seijoh's end, before being sent to Kunimi-san for a spike. It bounced off the tips of Karasuno's blockers' fingers, and Tanaka-senpai bumped up the Chance Ball.

Hinata called for the Toss, and Kageyama-kun sent it to him. But it was blocked by Iwaizumi-san. Thankfully, the ball ended up landing on Seijoh's side; I saw Iwaizumi-san's face scrunch up in irritation.

He then turned and said something to Oikawa-san who laughed and waved off his words, causing Iwaizumi-san to get angry with him.

The next play continued, leading into Oikawa-san tossing to Iwaizumi-san, and their spike getting past Nishinoya-san's receives. The one point we'd just gotten was negated by Seijoh's Ace.

The match continued, and when it came time for Kageyama-kun to Toss again, while Hinata jumped to his left, Kageyama-kun sent the ball behind him, where Daichi-senpai managed to get a spike through, closing the gap a little again.

Soon, it was time for Nishinoya-senpai and Hinata to switch out; I watched as Suga-senpai called Hinata over to talk about something, before turning back to the match to see Matsukawa-san block Karasuno's spike again.

Nishinoya-senpai received the ball.

"Say, is it me, or is Karasuno's attack gradually speeding up?" Takinoue-san asked beside me and Shimada-san, as Kageyama-kun sent the ball to Asahi-senpai to spike; he got the ball through and scored a point.

I quietly cheered under my breath, while thinking about what Takinoue-san was saying.

I looked down at Kageyama-kun, who once again seemed noticeably on edge; he was glancing around anxiously as if trying to come up with a plan of action. And like Takinoue-san had said, he'd gone full offensive on Seijoh, trying to beat the blockers in speed with his Tosses. It had been working so far, but that could prove to be a problem if it continued.

Kageyama-kun could start making mistakes.

Oikawa-san tossed the ball for Hanamaki-san, who scored another point for Seijoh. There was still a 7-point gap between the two teams with Seijoh in the lead. And it was obviously getting to Kageyama-kun.

As the ball came his way, he attempted to go for a Setter Dump but Oikawa-san was right there to push it back.

Kageyama-kun was overwhelmed, and fell backwards under Oikawa-san's strength. Seijoh got the point.

I watched the match, and Kageyama-kun specifically, with concern. I had a feeling he was about to let his frustration get to him, clouding his judgement.

He raised his hands to toss the ball again. And he tossed the ball for Tsukishima-san; he tossed with too much force and speed, and it sailed right past Tsukishima-san.

The ball began to fall, and Asahi-senpai fortunately caught it. It went to Seijoh's side.

Oikawa-san set the ball for Hanamaki-san, who spiked, getting it past Tsukishima-san's diagonal block. The gap had widened even more now, and Seijoh were 9 points in the lead. They only needed another 5 to win the Set.

The referee blew the whistle for a member change and I turned to where Coach Ukai was standing. They were subbing Kageyama-kun out. Suga-senpai was going in!

I frowned in concern, watching as they switched out; Suga-senpai grabbed Kageyama-kun's shoulder and told him something quietly before going on court.

I watched as Kageyama-kun quietly walked away, his head down. Hinata went over to him, confronting him and yelling at him about something, and Kageyama-kun's composure seemed to return, at least a little. Hinata was quickly dragged back to the Reserves area by Yamaguchi-san.

I turned my attention back to the match. It was finally an opportunity to see Suga-senpai play in an official match after all! I was still a little worried about Kageyama-kun, who watched from the side, but for now, I wanted to see if Suga-senpai could help turn the tides.

* * *

Apparently, the first thing Suga-senpai decided to do was… perhaps this was breaking the tension?

He proceeded to punch Daichi-senpai square in the chest, roughly scrub at Tanaka-senpai's head, chop Asahi-senpai in the side, chop at _Tsukishima-san_ 's _head,_ before finishing with a simple double high-five with Nishinoya-senpai…!

"It's okay! We'll get that point!" he told them cheerfully.

Why was Suga-senpai such a nice person, and yet at the same time so violent…?! I was a little bewildered at this display…

But it seemed to work? Well, Tsukishima-san seemed rather annoyed, but he didn't seem so tense anymore either.

"All right!" the boys cheered, and got ready for the next play.

Suga-senpai was scolding Daichi-senpai for not vocalizing enough during the match so far, and then he called in Tsukishima-san to whisper in his ear.

Oikawa-san I noticed, was quietly observing Suga-senpai, as if trying to figure him out.

The next play had Hanamaki-san spiking, and it was received by Daichi-senpai and then sent towards Suga-senpai for the toss.

He sent it to Tanaka-senpai who was being blocked by Oikawa-san; the spike got through but was received by Seijoh's Libero and went back to their Setter.

He sent it to Iwaizumi-san. As Iwaizumi-san was about to spike, Oikawa-san seemed to realise something and called out but it was too late. Tsukishima-san blocked Iwaizumi-san's spike, and Karasuno got the point.

"Haha! Shut out! Could they tell a Straight was coming?" Shimada-san said happily, folding his arms.

"Yeah, that was a neat trick!" Takinoue-san agreed, "They switched blocker positions right before the opponent spiked." He added, and I smiled as I watched Suga-senpai pat Tsukishima-san's shoulder, congratulating him with a smile.

It was time for Hinata to go back on the court, switching out Nishinoya-san.

Suga-senpai quickly called him over to whisper something in his ear as well. It seemed Suga-senpai had several plans cooked up already.

I couldn't wait to see what he did next.

I had been worried about Kageyama-kun, but sometimes a switch up like this is really refreshing!

Tsukishima-san was next up to Serve, and he sent the ball over; Kunimi-san received it and it went to Oikawa-san.

"Whoa, they gave it right back!" Shimada-san groaned, leaning forward anxiously.

"Are they planning a Quick attack?!" Takinoue-san added, as the ball was tossed by Oikawa-san.

He sent it to Matsukawa-san, but miraculously, Hinata jumped at just the right time and managed to completely shut out Matsukawa-san.

I gasped out happily, "Nice, Hinata-kun!" I called out, feeling really excited. It wasn't often Hinata could completely shut out the opponent like that.

So maybe what Suga-senpai said to him was about timing when he jumped to block? It totally worked. Suga-senpai is just as amazing a Setter as I imagined he'd be. That's a senpai for you – he's got lots of experience!

I watched happily as Suga-senpai happily rubbed Hinata's head, congratulating and praising him.

Tsukishima-san was up again to Serve since we'd won the previous point from his Serve, and he sent the ball over again.

Oikawa-san sent the ball to Iwaizumi-san, who spiked; Daichi-senpai received it, sending it back up into the air.

Hinata started sprinting towards the net without a word and leapt up high in the air; Seijoh's players had no idea what was coming and couldn't prepare anything when Suga-senpai sent the ball to Hinata.

Hinata's spike scored another point. We were having a scoring spree, and the gap was slowly but surely closing. Hopefully, we could keep it up.

"Suga-senpai is so reliable…!" I said softly, watching with shining eyes as Hinata and Suga-senpai happily high-fived each other.

I had so many senpai in Setting that seemed to be inspiring me lately… Kageyama-kun too.

Kageyama-kun's skills are clearly the work of his own genius and stubborn personality. I could never hope to get to his level of skill naturally.

But Suga-senpai, and Oikawa-san were such hard workers, and it clearly paid off. I really admired their skills, and I kind of feel… like I want to be as good as them some day… maybe. I know it would take hard work. And as I was a manager, I knew thinking of things like this shouldn't be a priority. But I just wanted to, all the same.

I had to make my mind up on what I was going to do about that, one of these days. I had a lot to think of… but right now, the match was still going on. Seijoh could still end up taking the first Set if we're not careful!

"Karasuno, do your best!" I called out, clapping my hands together.

The match continued from there, and Seijoh scored the next point with Iwaizumi-san's spike. Followed by a point scored by Tanaka-senpai for Karasuno.

Kindaichi-san scored the next point, giving Seijoh 22 points. They were almost at Set Point, while Karasuno were still 10 points away from that.

But that wasn't the most worrying detail. It was Oikawa-san's turn to Serve again.

I gulped, watching with a feeling of dread. Would this be it…?

"Bring it!" Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai, both on the court now, called out.

Oikawa-san began his serve, throwing it up and running in; he sent it straight down the middle, and both Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai tried to go for it at the same time, and ended up bumping into each other. I put my hand to my forehead.

Seijoh got their point again.

Oikawa-san served again, and hit lit lightly, making it land towards the front of the court. Everyone tried to dive for it, but it was no use. Set point was now in Seijoh's hands.

"Damn it. How many points have been taken by that Serve of his?!" Takinoue-san sighed out, frustrated.

"If there would be any ultimate play in Volleyball, it would be a Serve that could take 25 points all on its own." Shimada-san commented. It really did seem like Oikawa-san had a Serve that could do that.

It was really unnerving.

Oikawa-san served again, and attempted to do again what he did with Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai, but this time with Daichi-senpai and Asahi-senpai.

Daichi-senpai loudly called out that he would get it, and cleanly bumped it back out, Asahi-senpai keeping clear of him.

I sighed out with relief. Our reliable captain hadn't been fooled…!

Which left it to Suga-senpai to toss the ball; he sent it to the back-row for Asahi-senpai to spike. It bounced off Iwaizumi-san's block, and Hanamaki-san got it next, sending it back up.

It was coming back over the net, and Kageyama-kun suddenly yelled out to Hinata, for him to go for a direct attack.

Flustered, Hinata did so, and managed to get it over with the tips of his fingers, to which Kageyama-kun scolded him for being clumsy. But nonetheless, Iwaizumi-san got it up again with a Diving Receive.

Oikawa-san sent the ball to Kindaichi-san, and Hinata again delayed his jump for the block. He managed to block the spike and it flew all the way to the back of the court. Seijoh's Libero raced after it, prompted by their Coach's shouting.

He missed it… but the ball was out.

Seijoh took the first Set due to a flub on Hinata's part.

I sucked in a breath, pursing my lips as the two men beside me yelled out in dismay. I furrowed my brows, watching as cheered up by Tanaka-senpai.

Well… we could hopefully turn the tides by winning the Second Set. But that left it to a tie-breaker with Set 3.

* * *

An exchange I witnessed between Suga-senpai, Kageyama-kun and Hinata had me convinced that the first year Setter's composure was completely resolved, but the second Set started up with Suga-senpai in play.

I'm sure this was an effort to keep the opponent guessing and hopefully rack up some points first, before sending Kageyama-kun back in.

"Oh! Karasuno has move up their rotation slightly for the 2nd Set." Shimada-san commented once he noticed it, and I nodded in agreement. Seijoh still had the same rotation as the previous Set.

Seijoh had the first Serve of the Set, and it was received, and then Suga-senpai sent it to Tsukishima-san who scored the first point, getting by Kindaichi-san's block.

"Nice, Tsukishima!" Suga-senpai called to him, patting him on the back; the tall blond only nodded.

Below me, in Karasuno's Reserves, Hinata spoke to Kageyama-kun, "When I make the ball count, Sugawara-san showers me with compliments!" he told him.

"Ah, is that so…" Kageyama-kun said dryly.

Ennoshita-senpai approached them, explaining, "He doesn't do it to be friendly. I think he talks to each spiker to measure their emotional state and get a bearing on how well they feel on a given day." He said, and I listened, fascinated. Suga-senpai is so thoughtful…

Senpai continued, "Tsukishima's case is special because unlike the other Third Years, Sugawara doesn't know that much about him." He said, and Kageyama-kun's expression became a little sour, "That face you're making screams 'Why should I inquire into the health of a guy like Tsukishima, you moron'." Ennoshita-senpai laughed a little.

Kageyama-kun flinched, "I-I wasn't…" he tried to deny, and Hinata laughed at him.

"You know how you immediately adjust if Hinata finds the ball hard to hit?" Ennoshita-senpai asked him.

"Yes. He likes to swing into thin air." Kageyama-kun agreed, and Hinata flinched. I chuckled a little bit, quietly, as I continued to watch. I knew I should be watching the match, but I was too interested in what Ennoshita-senpai was saying right now.

"I think the others have their own technical skills to hit balls like that. It sounds funny coming from me, but I think our Spikers are pretty advanced!" Ennoshita-senpai said with a smile.

"I also think so…" Kageyama-kun agreed, and I nodded. I thought so too! Micchan had commented too, that she thought we had some great Spikers, during our video calls.

"In that case, if they were all hitting at 100% capacity, don't you think they could compete with most blocks that got in their way?" he asked speculatively.

What Ennoshita-senpai had been saying was very important food-for-thought, and I hoped that Kageyama-kun took it in.

Suddenly, people started cheering excitedly, snapping us out of the conversation and turning our attention back to the court.

Ahh… it was Oikawa-san's Serve again. I bit my lip.

"Ah! It's a Serve-receive W-Formation!" Takinoue-san commented on Karasuno's blockers, and I agreed. The W-Formation… That's when five passers align to receive the serve.

Everyone was ready to take on Oikawa-san's serve, no matter which direction it went in.

"This rotation of theirs in the Second Set… Did they move it slightly forward from the First Set, just to…?" Shimada-san wondered.

"In order to align the formation to Oikawa's turn at Serving. In order to attempt to counteract it!" Takinoue-san added his piece.

Oikawa-san made his serve and Suga-senpai spun around, calling for Daichi-senpai, who leapt into action, receiving the ball and sending it back up. The ball cleanly went over to Suga-senpai's position.

He sent it to Tanaka-senpai, who managed to bounce it off Kunimi-san's block, before it landed on Seijoh's side. That's a point for Karasuno!

"Yes…!" I gasped out, and added, "Nice Kill!" with a louder voice, so it would reach Tanaka-senpai.

As the boys cheered for their point, I looked to the Scoreboard. The scorekeepers were currently adding the point for Karasuno. Yes…! We were in the lead, at 14 – 13! It was only a one-point difference but that didn't matter. It still gave me hope for a turnaround nonetheless.

The next play had Iwaizumi-san getting past Karasuno's blockers and the gap was closed; they were now tied.

"Y'know… I think the enemy Spikers are learning to anticipate our Setter." Shimada-san commented, and I sighed quietly. He was right.

Suga-senpai had been doing so brilliantly since he'd set foot on the court, but Seijoh had now become accustomed to his plays. We needed to switch it up again if we wanted to get the advantage back and that meant switching Suga-senpai back for Kageyama-kun again.

I wondered what Coach Ukai would decide on…

Oikawa-san was up to Serve again. He sent the ball over and it was received by Nishinoya-senpai; the ball flew towards Suga-senpai's waiting hands.

Tanaka-senpai attempted his spike, but a wall of three blockers completely shut him out. Now Seijoh had turned the tables and had the lead.

The next play had a similar flow of events, from Nishinoya-senpai's receive, to Suga-senpai's tosses being futile. It felt like if there was ever a time for a switch of Setters, it was now.

I glanced over to Coach Ukai, and saw that he looked very thoughtful, as if making a decision.

I turned back to the match, to see Kindaichi-san single-handedly shut out Hinata's spike. I saw the frustrated expression on Suga-senpai's face. I could see that he also knew that his plays were losing their effectiveness.

Ah… it looks like Coach Ukai is calling over Kageyama-kun. It looked like it was time.

One more play, and then we would switch Setters. Could Suga-senpai make this play of his count…?

For this final play, Seijoh sent the ball over, and Daichi-senpai received it. Suga-senpai tossed it to Asahi-senpai, completing the combination of the third-years efforts. Would it get through…?

It did…! It broke through Kindaichi-san's block, and bounced off the floor of the court, scoring Karasuno a point.

' _Thank goodness…!_ ' I thought to myself, patting my chest as I looked down to Suga-senpai. This way, he wouldn't have to leave the court after a failed play. I smiled softly at that.

And then, the switchover of Setters finally happened, and Kageyama-kun returned to the court, his drive and composure fully restored.

* * *

When Kageyama-kun returned to the starting line-up, the first thing he did was smile… at least that's what I think he was attempting to do, but it was totally forced and awkward, and he ended up looking terrifying.

He scared the pants off most of his fellow players, but Nishinoya-senpai quickly pointed out what I had also thought.

Kageyama-kun ended up getting angry at Hinata, for getting so scared of his botched smile attempt.

As Kageyama-kun got ready to Serve, Hinata spoke to him, and after replying, Kageyama-kun raised his fist, as if signaling something. I'd seen Suga-senpai also doing signals behind his back while he was in the court as well.

So they were continuing while keeping Suga-senpai's tactics in mind. In a way, it's like he hasn't left the court after all.

Or at least, that's the sentiment I get.

Kageyama threw the ball up, and ran in for his Serve, and it went to Seijoh's Libero to receive. But there was too much force and it flew back off his receive, before bouncing off the back wall.

Service Ace…! Kageyama-kun was back!

Tanaka-senpai raised both arms, ready for a high-five, but it took a few moments for Kageyama-kun to realise what was going on. When he did, it was thanks to Hinata's explanation, and he awkwardly did the high-five.

I smiled and giggled at him quietly behind my hand. He's pretty awkward…

Kageyama-kun's next Serve was bounced off of Iwaizumi-san's arms, and their Libero again raced after the ball. This time he managed to get it.

Hanamaki-san went for the ball next and bounced it back up again. The Chance Ball ended up going over the net to Karasuno's side, and without a word from Hinata, unlike previously, he sent the ball to him, for a Quick attack.

Seijoh didn't react in time, and Karasuno got the point.

Thanks to Suga-senpai's secret signals, it would be harder for them to predict the Freak Quick! Brilliant!

The score sat at Karasuno 19 – 18 Seijoh…

"Okay! Now Karasuno has turned it around!" Shimada-san seemed pleased. So were Takinoue-san and I.

Kageyama-kun went in for his 3rd Serve, and it was received by Iwaizumi-san. Oikawa-san sent it to Hanamaki-san, who closed the one-point gap again. It also ended Kageyama-kun's Service Ace.

The next play had Kageyama-kun and Hinata working together again for their Freak Quick. They did it using the Secret Signals again, and Seijoh were too slow to react without the verbal cues Hinata usually shouts.

I pumped my fists, pleased, and called out to the boys, "Nice Kill! Hinata-kun! Kageyama-kun!"

"Yes! We hit the 20 point mark first!" Takinoue-san cheered, pumping a fist too.

Hinata raised his hands for a double high-five from Kageyama-kun, his expression serious. After a short moment, Kageyama-kun reciprocated, harshly slapping his hands against Hinata's.

Hinata winced at his now-throbbing palms, looking like he slightly regretted it.

Nishinoya-senpai was switched out with Tsukishima-san due to rotation, and the next play started.

It was Hinata's serve and his ball hit the net, before toppling over to Seijoh's side; Matsukawa-san bumped it back up but just barely, and the ball came over to our side again.

Daichi-senpai bumped it back up and Kageyama-kun sent it to Asahi-senpai. It bounced off of Oikawa-san's block and landed out of bounds. Another point for us.

And then, Seijoh called for a Time Out.

"Ah, Seijoh had to call time _sometime_." Takinoue-san said with a smile.

As I watched the boys during their time out, I noticed that Kageyama-kun was pointedly staring at Tsukishima-san, and the glasses-wearing boy seemed to catch that, and decidedly disliked the staring.

I wasn't entirely sure what Kageyama-kun was trying to do but it was clear he wasn't doing it right, for Tsukishima-san.

The Time Out came to an end and I had no choice but wait and see if anything came of that…moment.

As Kageyama-kun returned to the court, Suga-senpai whispered something to him, and the boy nodded wordlessly before continuing on his way.

The match started up again.

* * *

Seijoh took the first point after the Match started back up, with Matsukawa-san's spike bouncing off Tanaka-senpai's arms.

Daichi-senpai bumped up the next ball that came his way, and Kageyama-kun tried sending it to Tsukishima-san this time. He managed to spike the ball, but Hanamaki-san cleanly sent it back into the air again.

Now they had to look out for Seijoh's counter attack.

As the match continued, Kageyama-kun kept trying to send it to Tsukishima-san but it was clear that they weren't syncing up properly. There was something missing. And that was communication.

' _Come on, Kageyama-kun… just speak to Tsukishima-san_.' I thought, watching the match anxiously. Seijoh had already caught up to us in points, and now we were tied.

Takeda-sensei called for another Time Out.

While the Time Out took place, Kageyama-kun actually approached Tsukishima-san to talk this time. He asked out the toss he'd given him was, but his wording was course and a little rude.

Tsukishima-san looked annoyed.

"It pisses me off 'cause it's like being told 'Shut up and hit it, you commoner.'" Tsukishima-san told him.

But Kageyama-kun didn't seem too annoyed at the jabs in Tsukishima-san's words. Instead, he asked the Middle Blocker to explain what he means.

Tsukishima-san answered, "I have my own way of doing things so I want tosses to be consistent. You're not the only one who thinks. Whether it's the opponent's defense formation or the attacks that work for us that day, everyone is always thinking." He said, and after a pause, he added "Even Hinata thinks occasionally. That's how he learned to do Quick Attacks… Well, barely." To which Hinata promptly complained that he was being too rude.

He paid him no mind.

"Understood." Kageyama-kun nodded, having taken in Tsukishima-san's words. Everyone was surprised, but I was just proud of him.

"Y-You're awfully compliant today… what's up with you?" Tsukishima-san asked, taken aback.

"You never know what works until you try it." Kageyama-kun responded, looking focused.

When the match continued after the Time Out finished, Kageyama-kun's first move as a Setter was to use what he'd learned from Tsukishima-san when tossing to him.

He made his toss consistent, and Tsukishima-san used the time given by the slower toss to tap the ball over the top of the blockers fingers, and the ball fell down behind them.

"He did it! The clear zone right behind the blockers!" Kinoshita-senpai said excitedly from the Reserves area below us. I smiled watching as Tsukishima-san moved away from the net, looking satisfied with his play.

"It's hard to tell, but that's how Tsukki looks when he's _into_ the game!" I heard Yamaguchi-san say, commenting on Tsukishima-san's difficult-to-notice 'glow'.

In the next play, when the ball came over from Matsukawa-san's spike, Tanaka-senpai bounced it back up and it went to Kageyama-kun.

He tossed it to Tsukishima-san again in the same way, and again Tsukishima-san did the same thing, lightly pushing it over the net.

Seijoh's Libero dove in to try and save it and it flew over to Karasuno's side again.

This time the ball was sent to Asahi-senpai, who scored Karasuno another point!

Seijoh quickly took a point back in retaliation, as Nishinoya-senpai failed to reach Matsukawa-san's spike in time.

The scoreboard currently read 23 – 22 to Karasuno, so there was hope for us taking back the 2nd Set and heading into the 3rd, but I couldn't hold my breath just yet.

With a team like Seijoh as our opponents, this could easily be turned around at the very last moment.

The ball was again sent to Tsukishima-san in this play and he applied the same tactics once again. This time, Seijoh's Libero was ready to bounce it back up cleanly.

Oikawa-san sent it to Kindaichi-san, whose spike was received by Tanaka-senpai.

"This is the point they definitely have to get." Shimada-san said softly, which I heard. I nodded.

"I know they can do it…!" I commented, watching carefully, ' _Who will Kageyama-kun send it to…?_ ' I wondered as I did.

In the end it was Kageyama-kun's call, and he decided to send it to Tsukishima-san again, but this time, the ball was not hit softly.

Seijoh's Libero was fooled and went in to catch it, but the ball ricocheted off his arms, and flew to the back wall of the court. Karasuno's Set point…!

Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai went over to enthusiastically congratulate Tsukishima-san on his spike, and the guy looked rather uncomfortable with it.

Kageyama-kun then turned to Tsukishima-san with a red face, as he tried to stutter out something to him that I couldn't make out. Tanaka-senpai then loudly proclaimed that he was still pretty bad at complimenting people.

I chuckled softly… slowly but surely, Kageyama-kun is getting used to being a part of a team…! Though he's awkwardly stumbling through it, he's learning.

Now, there was only one more point for us to score… I hope Seijoh didn't pull another ace out of their sleeve now. We really needed this point!

"Just one more point!" Hinata and Yamaguchi-san cheered from the Reserves box, as Karasuno's blockers jumped up to try to stop Iwaizumi-san's spike.

They couldn't stop it.

"Oh no you don't! We're still in this!" Iwaizumi-san said confidently. Well of course, at a moment the only person right for making their comeback would be Seijoh's Ace. He seemed like a guy to count on.

But we still had the Set point. They had to score another consecutive point to get a Deuce set up.

I flinched when I realised Seijoh's current rotation, and sighed out nervously, biting my lip.

' _Ah… what terrible timing you have, Oikawa-san._ '

It was once again the Grand King's turn to Serve.

* * *

 **Onigiriri:** **Sorry, for the cliffhanger! And that this time it's so volleyball-heavy - but it was unavoidable given that we're in the middle of a match. I didn't get the chance to add a HinaMi moment this time,** _ **but**_ **I've got a very cute/sad moment with** _ **someone**_ **planned for the next chapter, which will cover the end of the match and the end Season 1's events. I hope that you will look forward to that!**

 **As I'm going away on my holiday to Japan, next Sunday, I'll be posting the next chapter on Friday or Saturday!**

 **Thank you for all of your support and lovely comments thus far! I'm super grateful! I hope you'll tell me what you thought of this chapter as well. It's thanks to you guys I've been so enthusiastic about writing this story after all. :)**


	30. 30 Crush

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 30 – Crush.**

Oikawa-san took the volleyball in his hand and lifted it to eye-level, looking serious and focused.

After throwing it to the air, urged on by his team's cheering squad, he leapt to the air and served the ball.

He tried to aim it for the outside, but after being prompted by Daichi-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai dove into its path and sent the ball back up. But the ball ended up flying over towards Seijoh's side.

Their Libero bumped the ball up again, sending it to Oikawa-san, who tossed it over Kindaichi-san's jump and straight to Iwaizumi-san's palm.

Kageyama-kun and Tsukishima-san jumped diagonally and managed to shut out Iwaizumi-san's spike.

Karasuno won the 2nd Set. They were now tied in Sets won, and would be able to go to the tie-breaking third Set.

I let out a sigh of relief, patting my chest, then with a smile on my face I cheered out my congratulations to Karasuno's boys.

They were still in this…!

* * *

The Final Set began with a feeling of tension nearly visible in the air. You could tell that both teams wanted to take the set for themselves, and badly.

It would be all over for whoever messed up here. Who would win in this final showdown between Seijoh and Karasuno?

We in the stands and on the courtside were about to find out.

The 3rd Set began with Seijoh's serve, and it was cleanly received by Daichi-senpai, who sent it towards our Setter. As Kageyama-kun got into position, Hinata ran in to spike.

Kindaichi-san was there on the other side of the net, and jumped to block it. Hinata hit it off his forearms, and the ball went through.

"The rally continues…" Shimada-san commented.

"On average, Seijoh definitely has better defense and blocks." Takinoue-san added.

"Yeah. Even though we switched to non-verbal signals for the Quick, it seems they're sometimes able to at least touch the ball. Which gives them a chance to turn it around." I nodded in agreement.

The men nodded in agreement.

Back down on the court, Kunimi-san did a feint with his spike, and almost got it through, but Nishinoya-senpai was able to catch it.

The ball went back to Kageyama-kun, who sent it to our Ace. Asahi-senpai managed to get it past their blockers, but Oikawa-san saved it.

That meant he couldn't do a toss right after…

Suddenly, their Libero did something that caught me off guard. Ah! He jumped, and Set the ball in Oikawa-san's place…!

Rei did that sometimes in our middle-school team. With her boundless energy, she was always jumping all over the place. Of course, she wasn't a Libero, but still! That's impressive of Seijoh's Libero!

The ball was set to Oikawa-san, who pulled off an impressive spike, scoring a point.

By now, the scores were in Aoba Johsai's favour, at 08 - 10 to them.

We had to turn it around before they got to far ahead…!

But it was once again, Oikawa-san's Serve.

And once again, Daichi-senpai received the opposing Captain's Serve, sending it towards Kageyama-kun. He sent it to Asahi-senpai again while Hinata drew away blockers with a decoy jump.

It was received by Hanamaki-san.

The ball was coming back over to Karasuno's side, so Hinata tried to jump and push the ball back over. Oikawa-san beat him to it, and jumped in to toss it for Iwaizumi-san.

' _They scored another...!_ ' I thought, as I furrowed my brows in frustration.

Coach Ukai called a time out, and the teams both went to huddle around their respective coaches. It looked like Ukai-san wanted to make sure their morale was still okay, since the 3rd Set is always the most stressful, especially in situations like this.

I tightened my grasp on the bars of the barricade in front of me, watching the boys and Ukai-san talk, before quickly glancing over towards Seijoh's side.

They seemed relaxed. Sure of their own victory.

I felt annoyed that I was so uncertain and worried, while the people supporting Seijoh seemed to have unwavering faith in their team. They had the advantage right now, and they knew it.

Well, Karasuno just had to pull the carpet from beneath their feet…!

I nodded to myself, determined to believe in my boys no matter what the odds were currently like.

The referee blew his whistle to signal the end of their Time Out, and Karasuno returned to the court, looking just as determined to turn things around.

* * *

The play that began after the Time Out ended lead to Tsukishima-san jumping to spike the ball. He did his own feint, like Kunimi-san had done earlier, and though Iwaizumi-san dove to receive it, he missed it.

A point to Karasuno… now we had to turn it into a streak….!

"Nice, Tsukishima! It's the dirty diversion that hits when they least expect it!" Tanaka-senpai complimented the tall blocker.

It looked like he was snubbed, and the match continued.

Takinoue-san, Shimada-san and I watched as several plays came and went. During which, I turned my attention towards the reserves box, where Hinata awaited his turn to return to the court.

He looked antsy, excited, and buzzing with nervous energy. Like he really wanted to get back on the court.

After Tanaka-senpai let out a victorious cry at having scored another point for his team, it looked like it was finally Hinata's time. He switched out with Nishinoya-senpai, who took his place in reserves, and joined the rest of the team on the court.

He joined Kageyama-kun at his side, and the two exchanged words in whispers while wearing serious facial expressions, before turning to face their opponents alongside the rest of their team.

As they started playing, Seijoh made another attempt at a spike to gain another point; their spike was bounced off the blocking arms of Hinata and Kageyama-kun.

Tanaka-senpai took it from there, bumping the Chance Ball back up again.

It was then that Hinata finally decided to whip out his high speed, for the Freak Quick; a move they'd barely used in this match. Maybe this was the chance we needed…!

Seijoh went quiet, and the boys over in reserves burst out into enthusiastic cheer; Nishinoya-senpai was so excited that he vaulted onto Yamaguchi-san's shoulders to do a handstand…! (Senpai's acrobatics never ceased to surprise me.)

"YES! Hinata-kun!" I gasped out happily, not checking my volume.

Takinoue-san, Shimada-san, and several others around me looked to me, completely startled by my outburst. I turned pink and covered my mouth, laughing nervously.

"Ahaha… um, I'm sorry…!" I apologised, bowing my head.

Takinoue-san and Shimada-san laughed and waved it off. They liked my enthusiasm, they said.

Looking back at the court, and the match, Seijoh managed to take another point in retaliation, Hanamaki-san getting the ball by our blockers, and Asahi-senpai who attempted to receive.

Seijoh served next, and Daichi-senpai again reliably bumped the ball back up. Hinata raced in again, to attempt another Freak Quick and take another point.

This time, Seijoh's Libero managed to catch the ball, but the ball flew off to outside of the court. I thought we had it, but Hanamaki-san managed to keep the ball in play with a diving receive.

The ball ended up coming back over to Karasuno's side. Nishinoya-senpai bumped it back up cleanly, as Hinata continued with another attempt at the Freak Quick.

Would it work this time…?

Ah! Kageyama-kun decided to send it to Tanaka-senpai this time…! Even I had been fooled this time. Though it's embarrassing, I got too caught up in watching Hinata again…

It flew back after hitting Hanamaki-san's arms, and Karasuno got the point.

We were only one point behind Seijoh's 15, now.

Almost there…!

As Hinata speedily jumped once again, I watched with eager anticipation. Could we get a tie in points…?

"That number 10 is amazing… he just keeps jumping…!" some girls near to us commented and I almost puffed up with pride for my best friend. Of course he was amazing…!

"Volleyball is a sport where you're constantly jumping. Jump to decoy. Jump to block. Jump to spike." Takinoue-san explained.

"I've always found Hinata-kun's jumping to be amazing," I nodded, "Ever since I first saw it back in middle school. Even then, he could jump so high his feet came to above my head!" I said to the girls. Maybe I was bragging a little…

"Wow, that's high…!" one of the girls blinked, surprised.

"It's like he can jump even higher now! Will he soon be able to jump even higher again? Wow…" Another said, putting her hands together.

Takinoue-san sweat-dropped, "You know there's a limit to how much you can defy gravity… it's not like the kid could reach the ceiling or something." He said, finding the idea ridiculous.

I laughed at his comment, before turning down to continue following the match. Nishinoya-senpai had just dived to receive a ball.

It went towards Kageyama-kun and Hinata, bursting with adrenaline, called out for a toss as he sped to the right side of the court.

Seijoh had their eyes on him.

Matsukawa-san and Iwaizumi-san both jumped to block Hinata. With everyone's attention on Hinata, it left Asahi-senpai open to attack and that's exactly where the ball went.

With great force, Asahi-senpai spiked the ball and broke past Oikawa-san's one-man block, scoring a point.

"A Pipe-Cut-Through…!" the two men beside me cheered.

I grinned, and called out, "Nice Kill, Asahi-senpai!" to the senior.

Finally, the points were tied up. Now it could go either way! The first to 25 points wins the match…!

"Now's your chance, guys! You can turn this around!" I called out to the boys, and when a few of them turned and waved up to me, I sent them a double-thumbs-up.

A Time Out was called, in order to give the boys a chance to catch their breath. This late in the match, the stamina of both teams would surely be waning. They were visibly gasping for air, sweat cascading down their faces.

Yamaguchi-san assisted Shimizu-senpai in handing out towels and water for the starting players.

Ah.. Now that I thought about it.

"Shimada-san, before the match started you said that Yamaguchi-san had been training under you. Do you think he'll get a chance to play in this match?" I asked the man, turning to him.

He hummed at my question, rubbing his chin; he glanced down to his friend, Ukai-san, "That decision is down to the team's Coach. His float serve is still a little shaky, so as it is, they have to decide if the risk is worth it," He replied.

I nodded, and looked back down at Yamaguchi-san; he watched his peers, looking almost longing.

After the Time Out came to an end, Seijoh scored the first point.

After that, Tanaka-senpai's retaliation was jumping in for a Spike; Kageyama-kun sent one his way and he got it past Kindaichi-san and Oikawa-san's block.

The one-point lead had returned to a tie once again. We were neck in neck, which made the match really intense to watch.

But the next rotation put Hinata in the back row. That meant we couldn't whip out any Freak Quicks. We had to rely on regular spikes.

Suddenly, Kageyama-kun yelled to Hinata, "HEY! You okay!?" He surprised the redhead with his sudden inquiry.

"I-I'm fine!" Hinata stuttered, though his hair was matted to his face with sweat. I could tell he was getting tired. He'd been jumping _a lot_ after all. It was only natural that people would wonder if he was still good.

"Rack up a lot of points before you go back!" Kageyama-kun said, turning away, and Hinata agreed.

Karasuno served next, and Kunimi-san received it cleanly. Oikawa-san sent it to Kindaichi-san.

Nishinoya-senpai received the spike, sending it back up.

Hinata took it as his chance, and ran in to spike.

"Is he going in for another broad-jump?! Wait…! What…?!" Takinoue-san widened his eyes, and I knew why.

None of the blockers were going after Hinata this time. As if they knew it wouldn't be sent over there so it was a waste of time.

Hinata was able to hit it unmarked, but Seijoh's Libero caught it easily, as if he'd anticipated it and was waiting for it.

Oikawa-san jumped, to set the ball, as Kindaichi-san ran in to spike. Karasuno were fooled by Oikawa-san's plan, as the third year captain dumped shot the ball; it hit the ground below Hinata's jump block.

I hissed, and bit my lip.

I really hoped this wasn't Seijoh figuring out how to trump the Quick Freak. It was one of our main weapons after all…!

Aghh…

Oikawa-san was up to Serve again!

I was really worried, as Oikawa-san went in to Serve, but did a double-take, when the ball hit the net. Oikawa-san looked shocked too, so I thought we had it, but the ball somehow managed to roll over the top of the net, and land on Karasuno's side.

Caught off guard, we weren't able to receive the ball, and Seijoh got the point, and another Serve.

Darn it! They got so lucky on that one, too!

Oikawa-san's second serve got over the net easily, but Nishinoya-senpai was there to get it back up in the air again.

It was a bit short, so both Kageyama-kun and Asahi-senpai had the same idea to try and get the ball; they nearly bumped into each other and got momentarily flustered, before Kageyama-kun got the ball, then Asahi-senpai got the last hit.

"Ah, that was so close!" Takinoue-san cried, holding his head.

"They need to calm down – they're getting flustered…!" Shimada-san hissed, looking worried.

I cupped my hands in front of my face, "Don't Mind, Don't Mind! Keep going!" I called down to them, hoping they could hear.

Tanaka-senpai bumped the ball up next, and got the ball to Kageyama-kun; he tossed the ball for our Ace.

Asahi-senpai spiked, but Seijoh's Libero dived and received the ball, sending it up again.

As Seijoh attempted a spike, Hinata yelled out, jumping with all his might to block it. It bounced off his arms and flew to the side, to the outside of the court. Diving to receive it, Asahi-senpai caught it with his forearm and sent it back up.

As Nishinoya-senpai went to bump it up again, Hinata yelled out "Center!" calling for the toss.

Nishinoya-senpai reciprocated his request, sending the ball his way; his teammates cheered Hinata on, hoping he could get it through.

I held my breath, anxious to see the outcome; I didn't dare take my eyes of Hinata. He had a wall of three to get by after all!

…

…

He was shut out! No…!

Now Seijoh were just 6 points away from victory! We couldn't let that happen!

Karasuno called for another Time Out; their last one for this match. They had to make it count. We had to steal back 9 whole points AND stop Seijoh from reaching 25 points first.

What really needed was something to change the flow of the match! What would Ukai-san decide on…?

Ultimately, all I could do was watch, and cheer for them. I felt so useless right now. I wanted to do more, but… there was nothing but my words. And I had no idea if my words could really do anything right now.

They were already trying as hard as they could…!

Suddenly, Ukai-san looked up at us, and Shimada-san flinched. I watched the bespectacled man for an answer, but received none.

The match started back up again, and we managed to fluke out another point when Seijoh touched the net. Oikawa-san didn't seem bothered by the lost point at all.

His confidence was unshakable.

"If we mess this up, Seijoh will pass the 20 point barrier…! If they take the flow along with it we'll never catch up." Shimada-san said tensely, and Takinoue-san and I nodded in agreement.

It was crunch time.

"They may have the lead," I agreed with him as the whistle blew to continue the match, "But I think it's our jobs right now to continue believing in Karasuno even if it seems impossible to win here." I said, before turning to them and smiling.

They stared at me a moment, before smiling and nodding and turning to continue watching the match.

Takinoue-san widened his eyes, "Wait, Shimada… Look!" he said and I also looked down with Shimada-san.

Oh!

Ukai-san was bringing in Yamaguchi-san as a Pinch Server…! This was his big chance!

"Yamaguchi-san! Go for it!" I called out, happy that he was _finally_ getting a chance to play, even if it was only as a Pinch Server. But as he held up the substitution board, signaling that he was switching with Hinata, he didn't seem to even notice or register what I'd said.

He looked so nervous…! He was visibly shaking…!

"What is Keishin thinking? Is he an idiot!?" Shimada-san seemed to think it was a terrible idea to send Yamaguchi-san in right now.

And I could see why. I bit my lip, worried about my friend, before shaking my head in defiance.

"I just got finished saying that we had to cheer them on no matter what, Shimada-san…! Where's your faith in your disciple…!" I said to the man, looking down to where he'd slouched down into a crouch.

He looked up to me in surprise, through his bangs, before sighing out nervously, smiling bashfully.

"Y-You're right…" he said, getting back up slowly, and looking over the court again, "I can't help but worry though… we haven't practiced the float serve to a point where it's reliable. I just hope he can get one through this time." He mumbled, furrowing his brow.

"If you think you're nervous, I think Yamaguchi-san must be worse. We've gotta believe in him." I said softly.

I ended up biting my lip anxiously, despite all my talk. Yamaguchi-san didn't look so good down there….

' _Hang in there, Yamaguchi-san…!_ ' I thought, nodding down at him.

He was now in position to serve, and was still looking rather pale as he held the ball in his hands.

"Hey, Yamaguchi!" I was surprised to hear Suga-senpai call out, and turned to see he and some of the 2nd years striking some sort of pose for Yamaguchi-san, "Serve up a nice one!" they all cheered together.

I smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed for Yamaguchi-san. That goofy pose was likely to calm the nerves my classmate was feeling right now. Yamaguchi-san just nodded, and turned his attention to his upcoming Serve.

He tried to start by bouncing the ball a few times, to get a feel for it, but it was clear he was still nervous when the ball got away from him. After retrieving it, he let out a loud sigh, and got ready.

It's only natural to be nervous in a place like this so I couldn't blame him; Serving is the only time you're truly alone in a volleyball match. The play is totally riding on him getting the ball over the net.

It's a horrible spot to be in for your first play in high-school volleyball, in such a tight pinch as we were in.

It was finally time for Yamaguchi-san to Serve. I wanted to cheer for him, but I didn't want to risk startling him during his serve, so instead, I focused my gaze on him, as he threw the ball up.

Come on….

…Come on…!

…

I-It hit the net… and it fell back down on our own side…!? Oh no…!

Horrified, I looked down to see Yamaguchi-san. I couldn't see his face from where I stood, but it was clear that he was just as horrified by his major mistake.

His one and only move in this match was over.

I felt the corner of my eyes heat up, as tears began to well up. Screwing my eyes closed, I yelled out to my classmate.

"It's okay! Don't mind! Yamaguchi-san," I cried, and he looked over to me with shock, "You did your best!" I said, smiling through my tears.

He bit his lip, trembling; he clearly didn't believe his best had been enough. He must've been feeling mortified right now! Crushed…!

"M-Mogami-san is right! D-Don't mind, Yamaguchi!" Asahi-senpai agreed, calling out to Yamaguchi-san, who looked to them in dismay.

"But, I-I…!" he stammered.

"We'll definitely take this match back! It's not over 'till it's over!" Nishinoya-senpai agreed.

"You'll make the next one count." Daichi-senpai said confidently, nodding to Yamaguchi-san. That seemed to have gotten through to him. Filled with hope that he'd perhaps get a second chance some day, Yamaguchi-san nodded, and went to switch off with Hinata again.

I watched him return to the reserves area with a sad frown. I hoped that he'd be okay…

The match continued on regardless, and fueled by determination to not let the gap in points get any bigger, Tanaka-senpai managed to score us a point.

The match continued as each team fought for each point, and eventually, the points stood at 22 – 19 to Seijoh.

Kageyama-kun tossed to Tsukishima-san, who got our points up to 20. We were catching up…!

But Seijoh was fast on our heels, and returned the favour, scoring their 23rd point.

Next, Hanamaki-san's serve landed out of bounds without touching us, and we scored a point in return.

Kageyama-kun received Seijoh's next attempted spike, and it went to Tanaka-senpai who jumped, and spiked the ball; it bounced back off Oikawa-san's block but Tanaka-senpai managed to receive it as he was falling, with his foot…!

What was it with our second years and catching balls with their feet…!?

Hinata sent it back up again next, but unfortunately face-planted in the floor in the process; I winced. But it was not without gain; the ball bounced on the top of the net before landing on Seijoh's side. Iwaizumi-san couldn't get it in time.

Kageyama-kun was up next to serve, but Kunimi-san received his serve; their Libero sent it to Oikawa-san to spike, and Daichi-senpai received it. Karasuno wasn't going down without a fight.

Seijoh were so close to winning, but we were right behind them. They were giving it everything they had to turn it around…!

But despite it all, Seijoh reached Match Point.

"Don't be intimidated, man!" Nishinoya-senpai called out and everyone jumped, startled; "Let's throw ourselves into it!" he said, and the boys all nodded.

Somehow rejuvenated, if only just a little, Asahi-senpai went in for the spike next. And it got through!

It was Tanaka-senpai's serve, and he sent the ball over; Seijoh's Libero sent it back up.

Kindaichi-san's Spike broke through Hinata's block, and Tanaka-senpai barely managed to send it back up, but the ball flew back over to Seijoh's side again.

Oikawa-san was in the process of jumping to send a toss, when suddenly, Kageyama-kun's hand was there. With a one-handed toss, he got it away from Oikawa-san, and sent it to Hinata, who got the point in.

I gasped out, ecstatic that they'd pulled that off…!

We managed to completely catch up! We were now tied for 24, a Deuce! The first one to get a two-point lead now, would win the match!

' _Kageyama-kun, that was amazing!_ ' I watched on, amazed and pleased.

After a brief break for water, the match continued. This was where every move each team made mattered.

"Go for it! It's the last spurt! I believe in you guys~!" I called out to them, as they started heading back on the court. I saw determined grins spread across their faces, as they kept their eyes trained ahead on their opponents.

It was Tanaka-senpai's serve once again, carrying on from the last one.

"Here goes!" he yelled, and sent the ball over. Hanamaki-san received it, and Seijoh got the chance to spike. Their spike bounced off the tips of Karasuno's blockers' fingers, and Nishinoya-senpai caught the Chance Ball, sending it up again.

From there, Hinata and Kageyama-kun attempted the Freak Quick, but that Libero caught it again.

Daichi-senpai caught it when it came back over, and Hinata tried again. Again, the Libero caught it…!

When the ball came to our side again, Hinata tried yet again. He was racing all over the court non-stop; he had to be getting tired by now, but he wasn't stopping…!

I clenched my fists, cheering him on in my head.

Hinata's jump had less power this time, likely attributed to his waning stamina, but he managed to tap the ball with the tip of his fingers, getting it past Iwaizumi-san.

We got it! Yes!

"This time, Karasuno gets to say 'Checkmate'!" Takinoue-san said hopefully, and Shimada-san and I nodded, buzzing with energy at the turn of events.

Tanaka-senpai had his third Serve, and sent it over; Hanamaki-san received it again, and Oikawa-san sent the ball to Kindaichi-san. He got the point back.

…

…And now, Oikawa-san was up to serve again. I gulped audibly.

* * *

But it looks like I didn't have to worry. A good judgement call on Nishinoya-senpai's part had Oikawa-san's serve fly out of bounds without touching any of Karasuno's players.

It was our match point again.

But, only for about a minute; Iwaizumi-san quickly took another point, impressing his teammates.

The battle for points carried on like this for several minutes, each team scoring points in tandem until the scores sat at a staggering 31 – 31…!

Both teams had to be absolutely exhausted, but the match was still going on. At this point it was a matter of who broke first under their fatigue.

"Oikawa-san, Nice Serve!" the girls near to us cheer, causing a cold chill to run through my body.

The rotation had already come around to him again…! Whenever Oikawa-san served, I always got so anxious. My heart is beating so loudly, I can hear it in my ears…!

This time, Oikawa-san's serve got over the net. Daichi-senpai was there to receive it and it went flying back over the net again. Everyone got ready to counteract what Seijoh would do.

Iwaizumi-san was calling for a toss, but Oikawa-san instead sent it to Kunimi-san. It ended up becoming another chance ball for Seijoh when Karasuno accidentally sent it back to their side.

Kunimi-san raced for it again, and though he was faced with a wall of blockers, he got the ball past them and Seijoh got to match point again.

We really had to do something, and fast…!

And the fastest person I could think of right now, was Hinata. But that Libero had been blocking his Freak Quicks so reliably. Would that even be the right plan of attack right now…?

I turned to look at Kageyama-kun, wondering what he would decide to do when the time came. His decision could make or break this.

It was clear that the pressure was on, to everyone; Hinata attempted to snap him out of it, before Daichi-senpai tried motivating him with words. Suga-senpai too.

And it worked. Kageyama-kun calmed down.

...

Oikawa-san served again, and went with a soft hit with the heel of his palm; it almost caught Karasuno off guard, but Daichi-senpai managed to dive to save it.

Kageyama-kun sent it to Asahi-senpai on the left, but the Libero received the Ace's spike.

Next, Iwaizumi-san's spike was caught by Tanaka-senpai but the ball was going back to Seijoh; Kindaichi-san went for it, getting by Hinata, but Nishinoya-senpai sent it back into the air.

Kageyama-kun took this as his chance and made his ultimate decision, and sent it to Hinata. What happened next sucked the air out of my lungs.

Hinata…

….

….He was shut out.

The sound of the ball slamming back down on our side of the court was deafening. It… I-It was like we were suddenly in a vacuum space, and all sound but the ball disappeared.

The next sound I heard, was the referee's whistle, and then…

Seijoh's victorious cheers.

I stepped back and grabbed at the fabric in front of my stomach, suddenly feeling sick. With my other hand, I covered my mouth. My eyes gradually grew warm.

We lost…

My mind was a fog as I watched both teams line up on opposite ends of the court to bow. My eyes gravitated towards Karasuno's members' faces. They all look stricken, broken… then Hinata's face.

Oh…

"Eh…? M-Mogami-san…?" Shimada-san's voice brought attention to the water rolling down my cheeks. I gasped, and hurriedly wiped my eyes, hiding them.

"I-I… um… I n-need to go to the toilet…? P-Please take care of… the banner…" I shakily said, taking a few steps backwards again, before bowing my head low, and turning to leave the stands.

"W-Wait, Mogami-san!?" Takinoue-san called after me, but I didn't listen. And they didn't follow me.

I quickly went down the stairs, my head held low.

Oikawa-san's words from the other day rang in my head.

' _Careful, Moeka-chan~_ ' he had said, ' _The higher the pedestal you put them on, the further they'll fall when we crush them_.'

I gripped at my chest, as it twinged painfully. My throat closed up as I bit back a sob, and wiped my eyes again, continuing on my way.

A-At times like this… I shouldn't be crying. The boys needed their assistant manager to be there with a smile, and some encouraging words.

So today wasn't the right time for them to win. They'd come back stronger the next time and win, and win again! Because I, and everyone else, believe that they can do it…!

I can't say this to them with red eyes and snot running down my nose. I-I needed to freshen up and hurry to meet them.

I hurried to the nearest toilet to do just that.

* * *

It took me ten minutes to fully compose myself. I stepped out of the bathroom, sniffling quietly, rubbing at my sore eyes.

I sighed out shakily, and patted my cheeks, trying to get myself to snap out of it. Probably, Hinata needed my support more than ever, because of the final play…

I needed to hurry back to him.

Okay…!

I took only a single step, before a voice called out to me; "M-Mogami-san… wait…!" - It was a familiar voice, but not one from Karasuno's boys.

I curiously turned around to face the one calling me, and widened my eyes.

"Kindaichi-san…" I murmured, faced with the Seijoh Middle Blocker.

As soon as he saw my face, he likely spotted my red eyes, and the tear tracks I hadn't been able to totally get rid of. His eyes widened, and he immediately looked worried.

Raising his arms and cautiously approaching me, he spoke, "A-Are you okay…?" he asked me.

I gave him a sad smile, "Not really…" I said, almost croaked, my throat still tight from my own emotions; "Oikawa-san was right. My faith in my team ended up hurting me in the end. You guys really thrashed us o-out there… Ah, I'm sorry…!" I lowered my head, reaching to rub my eyes again as tears welled up.

And I had just calmed down, too…

"Don't apologize…! Mogami-san… I'm sorry…!" Kindaichi-san said, and suddenly, I found my face buried in the fabric of his jersey, with his arms wrapped around the back of my shoulders. My face suddenly became hot.

He was hugging me… and apologizing…

"I'm sorry, that I've ended up making you cry. I swear - I didn't want to do that at all! But, it's just that…" he trailed off, and sighed out, "This could be Oikawa-senpai and the rest's last chance, to beat their long-time rival. Their last chance to go to Nationals…! And… they've done so much for us, in middle school too. So Akira and I, we decided to give it our all to help them get there. I hope that you understand." He said. He sounded determined, but nervous still. I could hear his heart beating really loudly.

I sighed out quietly, closing my eyes and thinking back to Daichi-senpai's words, back on the first day of high school.

' _Other schools call us the fallen champs. The un-flying crows…. to see them fighting the fierce rivals in a gigantic gymnasium in Tokyo… it gave me goosebumps. We're going there again!_ '

"I understand. Our senpai both wanted it really badly today, but it could only go to one team. There are always winners and losers." I said thoughtfully, and pushed away from him gently; I smiled up to him, grateful, and he blushed lightly, watching without a word.

"Thank you for trying to cheer me up. Congratulations on winning today and good luck in your next match." I said to him.

He nodded, thanking me for my words. His eyes still held concern.

"I'll be okay. I need to go make sure my boys are going to be okay too, now!" I said, and bowed to him, trying to leave.

I got a few steps away, before he called me again; "Um, w-wait…!" he said and I looked back to see him reaching towards me, his cheeks still pink. I blinked up at him.

He looked around awkwardly, and coughed into his hand. After a moment he spoke.

"I-If you need someone to talk to… I'd like to… be able to help, so, um… Do you want to t-trade numbers?!" he stuttered out, and ended up shouting a little. I was a little startled, but flattered.

Kindaichi-san was a nice guy… Judging from my first impression of him I would have never figured him to be so shy. And sweet.

I really appreciated it that he was so worried about me, even though his concerns should have been with his own team.

And I figured it couldn't hurt. I wouldn't mind talking to him again, after all.

"Okay." I told him, turning back to him while fishing around in my pocket for my phone.

Kindaichi-san really brightened up at that, and even smiled, "R-Really…?! I mean, uh, yeah…! Let's do this." he said, and took out his phone as well.

A few moments later, I had Kindaichi-san's name in my contacts, and mine in his.

With a nod, I bid him farewell, and he waved me off, before going on his way. Tucking my phone away, I sighed out.

I really was feeling a bit better now, but the ache in my chest yet remained. At least, I could face my boys with a smile now.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Man this chapter nearly killed me to write it! Damn it was long! And I didn't even manage to get everything I wanted to put in it! D;**

 **But I did manage the first big KindaiMi moment. THE LOVE RIVAL APPEARS!? I hope you liked it! ^^**

 **Reviews are everything to me~**

 **And remember, I'm going on holiday to Japan on Tuesday 21st, but I'm going to be away from the internet from the 19** **th** **. I won't be back until like the 8** **th** **of April! So I can't update between those times, and I can't respond to your reviews right away like I usually do.**

 **Also, by the way anonymous reviewer RJ, the link you put didn't work. Tell me the name of the song and the artist? I want to look it up!**


	31. 31 Once More

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate_ , _Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 31 – Once More.**

After parting ways with Kindaichi-san, I rejoined the rest of my team, at the back, next to Shimizu-senpai, who was carrying my bag for me.

Taking my bag from her, I apologised; "I'm so sorry for disappearing like that, senpai! Here, let me take that too," I said, going for the bag with the banner in it.

Shimizu-senpai shook her head, "It's fine, I can manage it," she insisted, and looked me over. "Are you okay? Your eyes are a little red." She said, looking concerned.

I blushed. Of course it wouldn't have totally gone down.

"Don't worry about it. I just got a little emotional. But I'm okay now!" I replied, smiling for her.

I then turned to look at the boys' backs, my eyebrows furrowed.

At this position, I couldn't see the faces they were making.

At the front of the group, Ukai-san turned around and spoke; "Okay, now that everyone's here, let's go eat. My treat, of course." He said.

"What? Eat, sir? But…" Daichi-senpai trailed off, sounding caught of guard.

Turning away, Ukai-san insisted; "Just do as I say, and eat!" he said.

Everyone looked to each other, at a loss. Well, when he put it like that, there wasn't really any way we could refuse it.

* * *

And so, we ended up at a small tavern, with a small-scale feast placed before us. I had taken a seat between Shimizu-senpai and Takeda-sensei, the spot next to Hinata that I had been planning on taking already having been filled by Kinoshita-senpai.

I glanced over to Hinata, to check his expression. He seemed better off than I had been at least, which was a little surprising. I'd thought it would've hit him harder than me since he'd been playing…

'… _But then again,_ ' I thought back, remembering his game against Kitagawa Daiichi last year, ' _Even back then, he kept it together.'_ I told myself.

Is he just bottling it up? Are there feelings that Hinata's not showing me…?

I frowned a little to myself, staring at the food in front of me.

"Sorry to do this to you right before closing, ma'am." Ukai-san apologised to the chef as she brought out the last of our food.

"Think nothing of it! This used to be the norm for you, remember?" the chef said with a smile as she walked away with her empty tray. Ukai-san smiled and nodded to her.

Ukai-san then came to the head of the table, and addressed us; "All that running and jumping puts stress on the muscles and tears the muscle fiber. At the end of a game, your muscle fiber will be in tatters. You recover by eating. That's what gives you muscle. That will make you stronger. So eat up. Eat a proper meal." He said, and I smiled softly.

That's as good of advice as any. The guys were probably exhausted after that game, and a warm meal would do them some good.

We all put our hands together and said our graces for the food, and began eating. It was _so_ good; the vegetables were warm, and packed with flavour. My mouth was almost watering…

As I chewed, I glanced across the table. And my heart almost broke.

They were digging in so enthusiastically, yet so quietly, that I hadn't realised until I'd looked. They were crying…

My eyes stung, as I pulled them away from Hinata's face, and I dug in just as eagerly, biting back my tears.

They worked so hard, and gave it everything they had today. And it still wasn't enough to beat Seijoh.

I knew that feeling well.

And I knew it really stung.

* * *

The day ended before we knew it, and we were parting ways for the day. I'd wanted to approach Hinata after the meal, but I knew his feelings were still raw. I understood, since it was the same for all of us that day.

So I didn't hold it against Hinata when he told me he needed time, and went ahead on his own.

I watched him go with understanding eyes.

That night, I did a lot of thinking, about everything, and it ended up keeping me up pretty late. I thought about the match today, on both sides. Each team wanted to win so badly, and put everything they had into it.

I thought about Kindaichi-san's words. He said that he and Kunimi-san had devoted themselves to helping Oikawa-san and their other senpai win against their ultimate rivals. He said it might be their last chance to actually beat them, so they must have lost to them several times before. And yet their resolve to defeat that team hadn't been shattered. They had the strength to get up and try again.

Karasuno gave everything they had today with the hope of going on to the finals, and then to nationals as the school did years before in the days of the Small Giant. And they were shut out at the semi-finals, when they were so close. It was clear to anyone who witnessed the post-game meal just how crushing the disappointment was.

They probably didn't sleep well that night, despite their exhaustion. It would've been a fitful slumber.

Shimizu-senpai had told me though, on the bus ride back, that this wasn't the end. That everyone was still determined to try again, and come back as a stronger team. She told me to have faith in them.

And in the end, that's all I can really do for Karasuno's Boys' team, isn't it?

I'm a Setter, but there are already 3 Setters working with our small team if we include Ukai-san. There's only so much I can do with my Setting, and that in itself is of an average level. If I wanted to be even more useful, I had to get better myself.

And to be honest… I don't like it.

I don't like that all I can do for them is cheer, and pass them a ball while they practice. I try to do more, by making them snacks, and giving them encouraging words when I can, and running errands… but in the end, I…

…I keep on wishing I were on the court…!

I surprised myself when I finally came to that conclusion. I had stared at the ceiling while lying on my bed, in my darkened bedroom, for what felt like hours when it hit me.

I wanted to play. In an actual match.

I hadn't had that kind of urge since that final game last year. I didn't think I'd feel it again with the knowledge that I couldn't play on the same team as Michiko anymore.

But there it is.

I want to play…!

And I think that… I might be okay if it weren't on the same team as Michiko either. That kind of feeling… it feels so strange to me. Would Michiko even be okay with it, if I kept on playing without her? If I left her behind?

Without putting much thought into it beyond what I wanted to ask, I grabbed my phone and sat up in bed, going into my contacts and selecting to call Michiko.

I put my phone to my ear, my heart racing up in my throat almost with anticipation.

After a few more dial tones, a half-asleep and obviously grouchy Michiko answered.

"…Moeka…chan? The _hell_ …? It's like 2 in the morning…" she groaned, and I heard the rustling of her duvet as she rolled over.

I bit my lip, "I'm sorry Micchan… there's something very important that I have to ask you about." I said, feeling bad. But it had to be now.

"Something very important that couldn't wait until tomorrow…?" Michiko asked, and it was clear she was a little annoyed with me.

I decided to just go for it.

"I want to play volleyball competitively again." I said to her so quickly that I feared she might have missed it completely.

The line went silent for nearly a minute, and I wondered if she'd actually just fallen back asleep on the line. When her voice finally returned, it came in a whisper. She sounded more awake this time, and the whine in her voice was gone.

"You want to play…?" she asked, almost wonderingly.

"I'm sorry! It's just… Karasuno lost today at the semi-finals, against Seijoh, and didn't advance… you see… but they're still so determined to go further next time…! And it got me to thinking, and I started feeling like… I'm unsatisfied…?" I wondered if that was the right word, and then immediately felt sick at thinking it.

"I feel awful, Micchan. I promised myself, and Hinata, that I'd support him with everything I had this year. It was so important to me. So I rejected the very idea of even trying to join the girls' team. That was actually really selfish of me, huh? Since you wanted to play but couldn't, and I had the option but didn't take it." I rambled, running my fingers through my hair nervously.

"You know I don't blame you for that, Moeka-chan. You chose what you thought would make you happy." Michiko jumped in, and paused, "But… you're saying that it's not making you happy now? You looked like you really liked those guys when we met up for that practice game." She asked me.

"I do…! I really like them all. Suga-senpai and Daichi-senpai are both so supportive and caring. Asahi-senpai showed me what it's like to be strong and try again even after you think you're done. Kinoshita-senpai, Narita-senpai and Ennoshita-senpai are so kind. Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai are funny, skilled and take good care of us." I said, smiling, and Michiko only listened.

I continued, "Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san, though I wasn't sure at first, ended up being alright guys. Though Tsukishima-san tends to hide that he cares at all, I'm sure he does at least a bit. Kageyama-kun is so different to who I imagined he'd be, but it's good. I feel like we could become closer friends, too. And…" I trailed off, my smile fading, "Hinata-kun said he wanted to support me too, Michiko." I said softly, curling into my legs in front of me, and my smile quickly returned. I felt a bit lighter.

"He did, did he? Well we all knew that, even back in middle-school." Michiko had a smile in her voice.

"What do you mean by that?" I blinked.

"Man, you're so oblivious…!" I heard her laughing at me, and I flushed pink. It felt like she was making fun of me…!

"Th-This isn't what I called you up for, Micchan…!" I hissed to her, curling up tighter into my ball, and her giggles eased off a little.

"I know, I know, sorry. I think I get the gist of what's going on in that head of yours. It sounds like you want to go for it, but you don't want to feel like you're betraying Hinata after you promised to support him. Did I get it right?" she asked me.

"You hit the nail on the head." I agreed.

"Well… have you even talked to Hinata about it? Maybe he'd understand what you're going through. He's just gone through the same thing today was we did last year, so he's gotta be feeling similar things about it to what you did." She told me, "I think the best course of action is to have a nice long chat about your feelings… while you're not half-asleep and have thought things through." She said, yawning in between.

"Agh, I'm so sorry for calling so late, Micchan…! Sorry…!" I groaned, rubbing my head.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad I could help you a bit with your little dilemma. But right now I have to get up for morning training with my boys in… like 4 hours. So…" Michiko drawled.

"Right, I'll let you go then. I'm sorry again…!" I apologised.

"Quit freaking out… s'okay. G'night… or good morning, I guess." Michiko said, and it sounded like she was getting ready to hang up.

"Wait, Micchan…!" I said quickly.

" _Moeka-chan…!_ " she said exasperatedly, but waited for me to continue.

"Do you really not mind…?" I asked her uncertainly.

"Huh?" she asked, caught off guard, "Do I not mind? About what?" she asked me, confused.

"If… I play volleyball on a team that doesn't have you. I-If I… move on ahead without you…" I said softly. Michiko was quiet for a while, after hearing me say that. I waited with anxiety bubbling inside me as I waited for her answer.

"Moeka-chan… we were never going to be on the same team forever, and I'd already come to terms with that when my parents said we were moving to Tokyo. It's okay. It doesn't bother me – in fact, it made me so happy when you said you wanted to play again! I'm glad that… whatever those boys at Karasuno did, they've rekindled your love for the sport. Your hunger to win." She confided.

"I wasn't that competitive…" I mumbled.

"Don't give me that. When your team, or a team you're supporting loses, it always hits you the hardest. That's just the type of person you are. You're the same as me, and I knew it even back when we first met. That's why I knew we were gonna be the best of friends, and why I dragged you to volleyball tryouts that day." She said, "You're as competitive as they get, Moeka-chan. So if you want to play and win again, then you go do it. Leave me in your dust…! I'll be cheering you on! I'll bet your boys will too! All you need to do is ask them for their support!" she said, and I felt myself trembling. My eyes were damp again.

I sniffled, "Okay. Thank you so much, Micchan…. You're the best…!" I said, feeling emotional.

"Don't go crying yourself to sleep either! Sleep well, Moeka-chan! And talk to Hinata!" she said.

"I will. Say 'hi' to your boys for me." I said.

"I'll tell them you're the cause of the bags under my eyes~" she said and I laughed breathlessly. We said our goodbyes, and ended the call.

I put my phone down and flopped down onto my bed. Tired out from my emotions, my heavy eyes slipped closed, and I drifted away to sleep with ease.

Tomorrow…!

* * *

I went to Hinata's classroom at lunch that day. Since yesterday had been rough, morning practice had been called off today, so I hadn't had a chance to see Hinata yet.

But when I arrived at his classroom and asked for him, a glasses-wearing classmate of his said that he'd just up and left without his bento when he'd been talking to him.

I took his bento and thanked the boy, before heading off to look for Hinata.

I headed straight for where I thought he'd be. Whenever Hinata's feeling frustrated, which he likely is right now, he always wants to practice spiking. I know because I'd often help him with it in our last year of middle school.

As I was walking, I felt a buzzing in my pocket and paused, looking at it.

I balanced Hinata's Bento on top of my own and brought out my phone to check it. It was a text message from Kindaichi-san.

' _ **we lost…**_ ' it read.

I furrowed my brows, frowning sadly, and began typing a reply.

' _ **but you tried your hardest, right?**_ **'** I asked him, and he replied instantly.

' _ **of course we did! it's just…**_ ' he paused, and then sent another, ' _ **it's the same every time… it's so frustrating…!**_ **'**

I smiled sadly, understanding the feeling; ' _ **you guys need to use that frustration to get stronger. so that next time you won't lose. karasuno will do the same. let's do our best.**_ ' I responded.

After a few moments, he responded, ' _ **yeah. thank you.**_ '

' _ **cheer up.**_ ' I sent to him, and put my phone back in my pocket, continuing on my way. We had to work hard to live up to that. For the rest of this year, I'd lend Hinata the boys my undivided support, and see them go to Nationals…! And next year, I won't lose either…!

* * *

So I arrived at our team's gym, carrying two bento, to the sound of yelling and running. Curiously, I climbed the steps and peeked into the open door.

It was Hinata, of course, but Kageyama-kun was with him as well.

"You guys, wh-what are you doing…?!" I gasped at them, dumbfounded.

They slowed their running to a stop, and started panting heavily, as they glanced towards me. When Hinata's eyes met mine he bit his lip and averted them quickly.

I smiled a little, stepping inside, "Hinata-kun, I brought your bento from your classroom. You should really eat…!" I said.

"'m not hungry…" he murmured.

"That's no good!" I scolded him and he flinched. I marched over towards him, and held out his bento to him. "Like Coach Ukai said yesterday, you need to eat up to become stronger. So that you can win, and keep on winning next time, and go to Nationals! Right?" I asked, turning to smile at Kageyama-kun too.

Hinata took his bento and looked down at it.

"I brought mine too. Have you eaten yet Kageyama-kun?" I asked him.

"Yeah." he nodded, frowning and glancing away. I nodded approvingly, and blushed a little.

"Um… actually I had something I wanted to talk about with you…" I said, ducking my head nervously.

"I'll go over there…" Kageyama-kun began, starting to walk. I moved to stop him.

"A-Actually, I wanted to talk to you both about this, if that's okay. Both of your opinions are… important to me. Because you're dear friends of mine." I said to the two of them.

They blushed at that, and nodded. We took a seat to the side of the gym, opening Hinata's bento box and mine.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Kageyama-kun asked, after taking a drink from his water bottle while Hinata quickly gobbled down his bento.

I nodded, and put down my chopsticks, trying to think of how to start.

"The two of you… aren't discouraged, are you?" I decided on, and they looked at me, "After yesterday's game." I clarified, though it hardly needed clarifying.

"We're not giving up!" Hinata said determinedly, through the leftover food in his mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, idiot!" Kageyama-kun glared at him, then turned his head to me, "But he's right. It's not over. We're going to come back again stronger and we'll beat Seijoh next time, and go to Nationals!' he said to me, supremely confident.

I glanced to Hinata to see his input, and he nodded, looking at me with fire in his eyes. I smiled widely.

"That's what I thought you guys'd say. You're so inspiring, you know?" I said happily.

"Eh?" they both cocked their heads at me at the same time.

I nodded, "I have something to say to you guys… and the rest of the team. But I wanted to hear what you thought about it first, Hinata-kun. Since… we said that we'd support each other." I said slowly.

"Of course I will! What is it?" Hinata nodded.

I sighed out, and after a moment, I nodded again in resolution; "After this year is up, I want to quit as the Karasuno Boys' Team's manager, and join the girls' team." I said quickly, so I couldn't take it back.

There… it was out there now. Hinata had heard it. And so had Kageyama-kun.

"WHAT!?"

More voices than I'd expected to hear all chorused out at the same time and I jumped in surprise, whipping my head around to the gymnasium doors, to see that the rest of the team had miraculously showed up in time to hear me.

Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai bolted in towards us, eyes wide.

"Why the hell would you wanna leave us behind!?" Nishinoya-senpai asked me incredulously.

"Yeah, do you... maybe not like us!?" Tanaka-senpai asked, and I saw tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

"HEY! YOU GUYS STOP TRYING TO GUILT TRIP HER!" Daichi-senpai shouted at them, though I could see that he looked confused too.

"She surely has her reasons…!" Suga-senpai agreed, and looked at me desperately for an answer.

I stood up, waving my arms frantically, "T-That's not it at all, Tanaka-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai…! I don't hate you guys at all – I love you all!" I said, and turned bright red, "I-I mean…" I covered my face, mortified. I hadn't been expecting such a dramatic response and I was getting flustered.

"Why do you wanna quit?" Hinata asked, getting up and looking at me from my side.

I uncovered my face, and looked back to him, then to the rest of the boys who were waiting for an answer.

"It's like I told Hinata-kun… you guys are just… you inspired me. Last year, when I was in middle-school volleyball, we were up against a tough team in the semi-finals. We'd fought our hardest, and wanted badly to win, but we never managed to take a single set from them. It was a crushing defeat. And… I gave up." I said guiltily, and glanced to Asahi-senpai, who looked back at me in understanding.

They stayed quiet, allowing me to continue, "I gave up on playing competitively, but I couldn't completely leave volleyball. And… I wanted to support Hinata-kun, because even after being defeated by Kageyama-kun's middle-school team in the same way, he didn't lose his determination to play and win. I admired that." I said, smiling to Hinata, who blushed lightly.

I turned back to them, "But watching you guys so far this year has been an eye-opener. Even Asahi-senpai who was in a similar state of mind to me managed to return to the court, and you were so awesome out there, senpai…!" I said to Asahi-senpai who rubbed his head, feeling embarrassed.

"I said that I wanted to have the courage to return too. I'm not quite there yet, but… I want to be. But I still made a promise to myself, and to you guys for this year, that I'd cheer you guys on as you tried to make it to Nationals! I still believe in you guys. So for this year, I'll stay at your side. And next year, I'll transfer to the girls' team, but don't get me wrong! I'll still be cheering for you all the same." I said, and bowed deeply.

"So, I hope that this is okay…! Thank you for listening!" I finished, and went quiet, awaiting their response.

The first response came as a firm pat on my shoulder, and I looked up to find Daichi-senpai smiling down at me, his eyes filled with understanding.

"If that's really what you want, then we can't actually stop you. We're glad that we'll have you with us for the rest of the year at least." He said to me.

"We're happy that you joined us in the first place. So thank you!" Suga-senpai agreed.

"I-I'm glad you found your courage…" Asahi-senpai said with a smile and a nod.

"Hey are you guys seriously crying…?" Ennoshita-senpai looked to Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai exasperatedly.

"That's seriously pathetic…" I heard Tsukishima-san comment, to which Tanaka-senpai snapped at him, cheeks red.

As I glanced over, I felt Nishinoya-senpai grab my sleeve, as he rubbed his face fiercely.

He looked at me through red eyes and a runny nose, "That's great, Moeka-san! It's the first time I've seen such a fire in your eyes, so I say go for it!" he said, and I smiled.

"But hey, what're we gonna do for a manager next year if you transfer…?" Yamaguchi-san brought up a good point, and I widened my eyes, my smile dropping.

I looked over to where Shimizu-senpai was standing. She smiled at me as if to tell me not to get so worried about it. She walked towards me and nodded.

"It's okay. You'll help me find a new recruit, won't you?" she asked me.

I nodded enthusiastically, "Of course! I'm sorry about all of this!" I agreed.

"It'll be alright." She added, patting my shoulder gently. I smiled gratefully to her. I'd been worried about her response. I'll happily help her with finding a new manager. Since this is my fault.

Daichi-senpai sighed out and clapped his hands, "Well since we all showed up here, even though practice was called off today, we might as well get some practice in. After all, we're going to be going for Nationals again!" he said and everyone nodded in agreement and headed off to get changed.

I turned to see Hinata still standing at my side; he was grinning up at me.

"Are you okay with this, too, Hinata-kun…?" I asked nervously, fiddling with my fingers.

"Yeah, totally! I told you I'd support you, didn't I?" he said and I looked back at him, "I think it's great that you want to play again. I was a little worried that you were holding back on that for my sake. I don't want you to do that!" he said, nodding as if agreeing with himself.

He continued, facing me fully, "I want you to do what makes you happy. That way, we'll both be happier." He said, grinning sunnily.

I smiled and blushed, nodding as I felt a fluttering in my chest, "Y-Yeah…! Let's both do our best from now on!" I said.

"Yeah!" Hinata nodded.

"Hey! Hinata, hurry up and get changed! We don't have that long before lunch period ends!" Kageyama-kun yelled over at us.

Hinata turned and ran after him, yelling "Coming!" and I watched him go, putting my hands to my chest and feeling a lump in my throat.

I rubbed my eyes, my smile wide but shaky.

' _Ahh… this is bad._ ' I thought to myself, watching him go.

…

…

' _I really do like Hinata-kun…!_ '

* * *

 **onigiriri:** I'm finally back from Japan! I had the most amazing time ever! Tried new foods, fed wild deer, saw so many beautiful buildings, cherry blossoms, castles, spoke to Japanese people in Japanese, bought plenty of souvenirs - including a Hinata figurine! I was sad to leave, but glad it happened. If you want to see photos of some of the things I saw and got, look for this account (minus the spaces) on Instagram: 's . thomson 1990' !

Also if you want to ask things about what I did and saw in Japan, you can. ^^

Anyways, here is the last chapter for Season 1! Moeka made a big decision this time! I hope you like it! xxx


	32. 32 To Tokyo Again

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Shōnen Weekly Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 32 – To Tokyo, Again.**

' _After this year is up, I want to quit as the Karasuno Boys' Team's manager, and join the girls' team._ '

This was my selfish decision, which I had made for myself and announced to the boys of Karasuno's Boys Volleyball team just the other day. With a suddenly renewed passion welling up in my heart, I'd decided to move forward.

It made me so happy when they accepted and supported me in my decision.

These last few months had also made me realise some things about myself that I never realised before. Like how much I hate to lose. How I wanted to redeem myself, and make up for my failures last year. And about how important Hinata really is to me. I got so wrapped up in thinking that taking the manager position and sticking with Hinata would make him happy. It ended up that ignoring my own wants was upsetting him.

Well, no more of that! I'll make sure that from now on, I'll do things right!

But… Jumping into competitive volleyball after essentially being lazy so far this year sounds like I'm being disrespectful to the people who tried from the first moment they could, like Hinata, and also to people like my new friend, Sasaki Chizuru, a 1st year on the girls' team.

I was currently on my way to see Sasaki-san in Class 5, to see if she could ask Yui-senpai for me about joining their practices occasionally. I'd green-lit the idea with Takeda-sensei, and he'd told me it was okay as long as my specific help wasn't needed at practice on that day, or if we weren't going away to practice matches and training camps, which I still had to attend. I'd decided on once or twice a week, for now.

All that was left was getting the girls' team's captain's approval, but I didn't have Yui-senpai's phone number, and couldn't find her anywhere on the 3rd years' floor.

As I turned the corner to the area Class 5 was held, I bumped into someone and papers and notebooks scattered to the floor.

I yelped, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Let me help pick those up," I said to the quailing blond girl in front of me as I crouched down to pick up the scattered papers.

I paused, looking at the notes on the floor with an impressed look. They were very well organized, and the colour coding made them so easy to follow…!

"N-No it was t-totally my fault…! I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm so sorry about this!" she stammered, flustered, and joined me on the floor to pick up the papers.

I looked up to her and smiled gently, "I wasn't looking either! So… it's both of our fault?" I said with a slight laugh.

The girl blushed and smiled. She looked relieved that there were no hard feelings to be had, and rubbed her cheek bashfully. I noticed that a part of her hair was tied up to the side, with a star-motif hair-tie.

"Oh! That's a cute hair-tie!" I mentioned and she jumped in surprise, her hand immediately going to cover it subconsciously.

"Oh, th-thank you… for saying so. A-And for helping me pick these up too, of course!" she said, as we got back up to our feet, the notes all having been collected.

"No problem! Hey, is class 5 around here? I'm trying to find a friend of mine who's in that class." I asked her.

She nodded, pointing behind her, "It's just over there. I'm in that class too." She explained, and I nodded.

"Thanks!" I said, and bowed to her slightly, "I'll be going then." I said to her and she nodded in response, hugging her notes to her chest.

I went a few steps away, before pausing and turning back to her, "By the way, my name's Mogami Moeka. I really thought your notes looked super cute!" I said to her suddenly and she jumped again.

She's a little skittish…

"A-Ah, thank you. Um… Yachi Hitoka." She nodded shyly to me, before turning and heading on her way.

"See you again, maybe, Yachi-san!" I called to her, before turning to class 5 and going to check inside for Sasaki-san. I found her rather easily and after a little bit of small talk with Sasaki-san, I told her everything about my plans for my Second Year.

She seemed thrilled that I'd be joining them, and promised to inform Yui-senpai for me. Apparently the reason I couldn't find her that day was because senpai had caught a nasty cold.

* * *

I was running late for practice that day after staying behind after class to ask a few extra questions, which ended up taking longer than I would like. I was glad that I had decided to ask Yamaguchi-san to let the others know why I was running late, now.

On my way to the boys' practice that afternoon, I met up with a rather flustered but excited looking Takeda-sensei who was also on his way over. On our way over to the gym where the boys were practicing, I asked sensei why he was so excited.

He told me I'd find out soon enough, and by the time we were getting close, he picked up his pace and ran towards the doorway to open it, before tripping over the steps in his haste.

I blinked at sensei in surprise, before jogging to catch up with him.

"H-Hey, are you okay?" Ukai-san asked him.

"W-We're going, right?" Takeda-sensei said, as he pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"Going where?" asked Hinata.

"Your nose is bleeding…" Kageyama-kun added.

Takeda-sensei pulled out a piece of paper from his chest-pocket to show the boys, adjusting his glasses on his nose and wiping the blood dribbling down;

"To Tokyo!" he answered, and we all widened our eyes at him in surprise.

"Tokyo… Do you mean… with Nekoma!?" Hinata asked, looking excited.

"Another practice match?" Kageyama-kun asked sensei.

"Yes! Well, it won't be just Nekoma this time." Takeda-sensei said, getting up, "There'll also be the Fukurodani Academy group. It's a group of schools from the Kanto region that includes Nekoma. Apparently, they hold practice matches all the time." He explained to us.

"Did you ever hear about this, Mogami-san? Your friend is Nekoma's manager now, right?" Suga-senpai asked me.

I hummed, "About the Fukurodani Academy group? I didn't hear that it was a regular thing, but Micchan did mention doing a practice game against them once. She said that Fukurodani itself was a top-notch team, and that they had an impressive Ace and Setter." I replied.

"Ace…!" Hinata repeated in wonder.

"A skilled setter…" Kageyama-kun mumbled with a scary look on his face. I sweat dropped at him.

"Anyway," Takeda-sensei nodded, "This time, because of Coach Nekomata, Karasuno will be able to participate in their practice matches." He finished, looking excited.

At hearing that, the rest of our excitement peaked too. Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai in particular looked especially pumped up about it.

Ukai-san scratched his head thoughtfully, "Groups like that are created through relationships built up over years, so it's not easy to get in without connections." He commented, looking impressed; "We've got to make sure to thank Coach Nekomata. And Sensei, too, who I'm sure kept persistently asking him." He said, turning to the boys.

Takeda-sensei jumped in surprise, "No, I didn't, really…!" he said modestly and I smiled, clasping my hands together in front of me.

"Thanks for your hard work, Takeda-sensei!" I said to him cheerily.

The boys followed my lead, and bowed their heads, chorusing, "Thank you for your hard work!"

Embarrassed, our sensei flushed at the gratitude, before sighing out, "Over the years, we've lost our connections with other schools in the prefecture that we were once close with. There are many schools where the coaches that were once close to the former Coach Ukai are now gone. We shouldn't miss this chance!" Takeda-sensei said with a smile.

"YEAH!" the boys all cheered happily.

Kageyama-kun grinned ominously, "I'm going to be able to see that set up in person again," he said lowly and Hinata and I flinched.

"And I'm going to protect us until we win!" Nishinoya-senpai added excitedly.

"Yeah! We'll take down that City Boy Alliance!" Tanaka-senpai added with gusto.

"Again with that City Boy thing…pft!" Tsukishima-san didn't hide his amusement much, settling for putting his hand to his mouth. But you could see that he was mocking senpai in his eyes.

"This time," Hinata began and I looked away from our senpai to him, "I'm going to break through for sure!" he said happily, and I nodded.

"I know you will!" I agreed, nodding supportively.

He turned to me, "You're going to come along too, right? To the training camp!" he asked me.

I nodded, "Of course! I'm still this club's assistant manager after all! And Micchan will be there too." I agreed, and I saw the other boys smiling at me, so I nodded and smiled back at them;

"Let's show the Tokyo schools what Karasuno is made of, right?" I said to them.

"Definitely!" Suga-senpai nodded, and I saw the rest of them nodding their heads.

Hinata cried out, letting out a burst of excited adrenaline, "Kaaa~! I can't wait! Sensei, when is it!?" he asked, turning to Takeda-sensei.

He looked apprehensive, "Well, um, the only thing is… the prelims for Inter-High start this weekend, so it won't be right away. Also, at this point, we've only received the invitation. There are still some details to work out but I'll tell you all about the details another time. But it seems that you all are…" he trailed off.

"Of course, we want to do it!" Daichi-senpai nodded firmly, grinning.

Takeda-sensei nodded, and looked at his watch, then jumped slightly, "Ah, well I've got a staff meeting, so I have to get going. Ukai-kun, I'll leave the rest to you." He said, turning to leave.

As he left, I watched as Hinata went over to jump around excitedly with our second year senpai duo with a smile, before turning to our third years upon hearing them speak.

"We're going to be busy, huh? This'll be your first long trip with us, right Shimizu?" Suga-senpai asked, turning to Shimizu-senpai.

She nodded, "Yes… I'll do my best too." She said with a small smile, before noticing my gaze; she walked towards me, "Did you have any luck finding anyone in your class?" she asked me.

Ah… yes, I'd promised to ask around mine, Tsukishima-san's and Yamaguchi-san's female classmates for anyone who didn't have a club already and were interested in the assistant manager position.

I'd asked around this morning, but never found anyone who fit both criteria; 1) being club-less, and 2) having an interest in the position.

I shook my head, looking apologetic, "Sorry, most of them had clubs already or had other responsibilities that held them back." I told her.

She lowered her gaze thoughtfully, "It's fine." She said, and looked up, "We'll just keep looking. I'll ask around too. Can you ask Hinata to ask around his class for me? I'll speak with Kageyama." She said.

I nodded in agreement, "Of course." I said.

* * *

As promised, that evening on the way home, I asked Hinata to check around his class for possible assistant manager applicants and he agreed to ask for me, before going on to chat excitedly about the Tokyo training camp with me. We both agreed that it was going to be great to see our friends again, both old and new.

Lately, Micchan had been talking a lot more about the antics that her club were getting into around her, like the strange, slightly violent relationship between her classmate Haiba-kun and their Libero, Yaku-san. She apparently hadn't yet located apple-pie and had admitted to forgetting about it. He apparently hadn't been online on the game they used to play recently and she suspected he'd moved on to a new game, which was a shame. She also commented about how well Kuroo-san seemed to get along with Fukurodani's captain despite them being rival teams. She seemed to be talking a lot about the Setter from Fukurodani too… according to Micchan he was quite handsome.

Well, putting all of that aside, it made me happy to hear that Micchan was settling in so nicely with Nekoma. She seemed at peace with the idea that she couldn't play competitively any more, since the boys occasionally let her join in their little matches amongst each other. So she still got the chance to play, and it was obvious that they made her really happy.

I couldn't wait for the training camp either, thinking about it.

I couldn't wait to meet all the interesting people she'd told me about.

* * *

"So let me get this straight… Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun ran ahead of everyone, got lost, ran into Ushijima-san from Shiratorizawa, and… issued a challenge to him…?" I asked, staring at the boys in question.

The two of them had just gotten finished being scolded by Daichi-senpai for going off ahead and making the others search for them.

We were all now at the gymnasium once again, just after practice had ended for the day.

"That about sums it up." Suga-senpai nodded, sighing out.

"The best part is that they were cocky enough to talk big in front of a guy like that. They really aught to stop making trouble for us." Tsukishima-san added.

"It's not making trouble! We're totally going to kick that guy's ass for looking down on us!" Hinata turned to Tsukishima-san to say.

"It's hard to not look down on you, though." Tsukishima-san smirked at his 'joke.' I sighed out exasperatedly.

"That's mean." I told him, and he simply shrugged.

"Truth hurts." He said, turning away to take a drink from his flask.

I shook my head at him, before turning back to him, "Now that you guys have done that, Ushijima-san will have his guard up, probably. That is if he took notice at all… Are you guys up to that?" I asked them.

"HELL YEAH!" Hinata nodded, pumping his fist, and Kageyama-kun nodded in agreement, looking serious.

"Let him put his guard up. We have to beat him to get to Nationals so it goes without saying that we won't back down." He added.

I sighed out and smiled at them, full of affection for these two goofballs. What am I gonna do with them… I hoped that their self-confidence in their skills would rub off on me!

"Could everyone gather up for a minute before you go? I have something to talk to you about." Takeda-sensei suddenly said and we turned to face him curiously, before nodding and going to sit down in a semi-circle around him.

"Okay… um, concerning the practice matches in Tokyo…" Takeda-sensei began hesitantly, "For the time being, it's planned for next month. Because it's in another prefecture, we will need permission from your parents or guardians so I'll hand out those forms later. We also have tentative agreement from the school as well." He said, and sighed out.

"However, because of this, I must also make you aware that you also have final exams starting next month. You understand, right," sensei said, looking directly at Hinata, Kageyama-kun, Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai. They all seemed to freeze up in some kind of realisation.

I watched them curiously, wondering if they were okay. I then frowned, remembering when I helped Hinata study last year… Ah. Maybe that was it? But… Kageyama-kun too?

"It seems like you know what I'm getting at, but… if you fail any subjects, you will need to take supplementary classes which are being held the same weekend. So you would not be allowed to attend the training camp in Tokyo." Takeda-sensei said with finality in his tone.

The four in question looked as though the life had been sucked out of them. I shuffled towards Hinata concernedly.

"A-Are you okay, Hinata-kun? You've been studying, right?" I asked him worriedly, then glanced at Kageyama-kun, "K-Kageyama-kun!? You look pale…!" I jumped in surprise at his unusually pale collection.

"Tanaka! Nishinoya! Where do you think you're going!? There's nowhere to run!" Daichi-senpai suddenly yelled and I jumped, looking to see the two in question actually trying to physically run away.

"Ennoshita, stop them!" Suga-senpai called and Ennoshita-senpai blocked the escapee's path. I turned back to see a shaking Hinata looking at me in fear.

"S-Say, a failing grade… what number is that again…?" he asked me worriedly.

"Huh?" I gaped at him.

"Kageyama looks like he's stopped breathing!" Yamaguchi-san cried, alarmed and I whipped my head around to look their way.

Just what is happening all of a sudden? Since Kageyama-kun's so smart on the court, I thought that would've carried over to studies, too, but…

"You guys did make an agreement when joining the club that you'd balance your studies and club activities appropriately, you know. You need to give results reflecting that." Suga-senpai sighed out.

"I never get failing marks." Tsukishima-san shrugged.

"Me neither." Ennoshita agreed, keeping a tight grip on the collars of Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai.

"I have to work at it, or it'd get hairy…" Yamaguchi-san admitted and Asahi-senpai agreed with him.

" _If_ … If we talk to the vice principal about it I'm sure we can work something out, r-right?!" Hinata asked, looking panicked.

"How about actually trying to not get a failing grade first?" Tsukishima-san snorted.

Takeda-sensei sighed, "Even if we get the vice principal's permission, if you have supplementary lessons they always take priority to club activities," he shook his head.

Hinata flinched, and grew quiet for a moment, before getting up and rushing over to Ukai-san's side.

"Coach!" he said, grabbing at the man's arms. He awkwardly turned his head away from Hinata.

"W-Well you're a student, so it's unavoidable…" he mumbled.

"N-No way…!" Hinata's shoulders slumped.

"Sh-Show some spirit! What's important is your outlook! Mind over matter!" Ukai-san tried. I got up and went over to Hinata, patting his shoulder, and he looked at me, nearly with tears in his eyes.

"Hinata-kun, how have your scores been so far this year? I'm sure with a little work we can boost them up enough." I said to him softly.

"B-But… since starting high-school I…" he trailed off, turning red, "I-I practically never scored in the double digits on 60-point quizzes…" he said and I felt my jaw drop.

What…? I didn't even think that's possible.

"It's over…" Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai said gravely, taking up praying postions.

"HEY! Stop with those Bodhisattva faces! Don't give up yet!" Suga-senpai gasped at them.

"Th-they can do it if they try… it'll be fine… it'll be fine." Sensei started physically trembling.

"You keep it together too, sensei!" Ukai-san reprimanded sensei.

"Ahaha, this is hilarious." Tsukishima-san chuckled behind his hand. I shot him a look, before turning to the panicking boys.

"Don't worry! I can at least help out with Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun! Tsukishima-san is smart, so he'll help too!" I said.

"Don't volunteer me for something so troublesome." Tsukishima-san frowned at me.

I gave him a look, "Do you really want to put up with how they'll be if they can't go to the training camp?" I asked him pointedly. He stared at me through his glasses for a moment, before sighing and partially turning away.

"Only before and after practice for an hour. They're not allowed to bug me about it anywhere else." He relented.

"Thank you, Tsukishima-san!" I smiled, relieved. At that, Tsukishima-san fully turned away from me, so his back was facing me.

I sighed and turned back to Hinata and the only semi-conscious Kageyama-kun, "How about tomorrow you guys come over to my house after school?" I asked them.

"Oooh! It'll be like middle-school!" Hinata seemed to finally brighten up. I smiled and nodded, before turning to Kageyama-kun. He still seemed unresponsive. Did he actually faint while sitting up…!?

I hope whatever I could do to help would be enough…

* * *

 **onigiriri: So, Season Two's events have officially started! I got to introduce Yachi, finally, after 31 chapters, omg! xD; About time, am I right? Did you know, that had it not been for the introduction of Yachi, Haikyuu may have been cancelled? Apparently there was a lot of negative backlash after Karasuno lost to Seijoh. So thank this adorable baby birb for her existence! :'D**

 **Next time, there'll be studying, and more Yachi~!**

 **Looking forward to any feedback as always! :)**

 **EDIT: PS. I'm starting a Yuri on Ice story with an OC as well, on April 30th, for Phichit's birthday. Since it's a Phichit x OC story. If you're interested, it'll be called 'The King & The Skater' and I hope you'll check it out. :3**


	33. 33 Yachi Hitoka

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Haikyuu_. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate,_ _Weekly_ _Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 33 – Yachi Hitoka.**

After practice that evening as I was exiting the girls changing room with Shimizu-senpai, we were approached by Hinata and Kageyama-kun quite rapidly. The speed at which was alarming to see.

Slightly stunned, I blinked at the boys, waiting for them to speak.

"Mogami-san!" Hinata began with an intense look; "We need your help with something just now. Could you come with us?" he asked me, and I glanced to Kageyama-kun who hesitantly nodded.

He looked like he was talked into this.

I hummed, and nodded, "Okay. Is it alright if I leave you here, Shimizu-senpai?" I asked my senpai beside me.

She nodded, "It's fine. See you tomorrow." She said, and began walking away without me. I waved her off, before turning to the boys.

"Sorry about this, but we need you in a worse case scenario. He seems to listen to you more than us." Hinata said.

I blinked, "Oh?" I tilted my head curiously.

* * *

After a few minutes of fast paced walking, I realised who it was we were trying to catch up when I saw my blond classmate and his friend walking up ahead.

Ah, so it was Tsukishima-san that Hinata was talking about…

"TSUKISHIMA! …-san." Hinata yelled up at him, adding the honorific as an afterthought. I giggled quietly behind my hand, and glanced up to see that the two of them had stopped.

We walked to catch up with him, Hinata pulling his bike along.

"M-Mogami-san, Kageyama and I are gonna study together at her house tomorrow so… help us! …Please." Hinata said and I widened my eyes at him.

"Huh? I already agreed to before and after club practices. Anything more than that is a bother." Tsukishima-san said, and Hinata flinched; he smirked, "Did you even ask her if she would be willing to accommodate so many people?" he asked and Hinata flinched a second time.

He whipped his head round to face me, "U-Uh Mogami-san…about that. Is it okay? Sorry, I should've asked." He said, looking ashamed.

I smiled, shaking my head, "Don't worry about it. My mother is no stranger to large groups, since the girls' volleyball team often came over to study together. B-But I'll admit this would be the first time I brought so many boys over. I wonder what my mother would say about that…" I trailed off.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't think of that…" Hinata mumbled, shrinking into himself.

"Well if that's everything, we're going." Tsukishima-san said dismissively, turning to leave.

I stepped forward, "Tsukishima-san, wait a moment!" I said to him and he stopped, sighing out in irritation.

He looked over his shoulder, "What." He said flatly, frowning.

"I didn't mean it in a way that it's a definite no. I just need to ask my parents about it tonight, and I can get back to everyone tomorrow, so… You'd really be helping out! There might be an angle to look at something that I don't know, but you do, so your help would really be appreciated! Right?" I turned to Hinata and Kageyama-kun, who were looking at me with wide eyes.

Hinata nodded his head rapidly, "Yeah, yeah! What Mogami-san said! Come on, Tsukishima…san! Please! Oi, Kageyama, you ask too!" he went to jab Kageyama-kun's side with his elbow.

The dark haired setter looked like he really didn't want to, but with an irritated sigh, he stepped forward.

"Please help Mogami-san teach us tomorrow…" he said quietly, under his breath.

Tsukishima-san put a hand by his ear and leaned in, "Sorry, what was that? I couldn't quite hear you~" he said teasingly.

Kageyama-kun then surprised us with a violent jerk of a movement, as he gave a deep bow to Tsukishima-san, his bag flying forward over his shoulder with him.

"PLEASE HELP TEACH US TOMORROW, DAMMIT!" he yelled loudly and I jumped in surprise.

A door opened up next to us, and Ukai-san came out, "All of you shut up! Do you have no consideration for others or what time it is!?" he yelled at them.

"A-Ah," I gasped, realizing we were outside of Sakanoshita right now, "Sorry, Ukai-san, we didn't mean to get so loud." I said, giving a bow to him.

With a gruff grunt, he gave us a look, "Just keep it down and head home already." He said, and went back inside.

An awkward silence came over us.

After a moment, Tsukishima-san sighed and adjusted his red bag on his shoulder.

"If we're going to do this, I'll need to know where you live, Mogami-san." He said to me, sounding begrudging. I smiled brightly, and he turned his eyes away from me.

Yamaguchi-san grinned nervously, "Um, and if it's alright, I'd like to join too." He said, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at me.

I nodded, "It'll be fine. I'm sure…" I nodded and they sweat dropped at me.

"It all depends on whether your family'll agree or not. Don't forget to let us know tomorrow." Tsukishima-san said, and turned to leave. Yamaguchi-san waved and turned to leave with him.

I sighed out quietly, wondering how my mother would react to me bringing 4 guys over…

"Mogami-san!" both Hinata and Kageyama-kun said in unison, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to them and they continued, "Thank you for your help!" they said, bowing their heads.

I waved my hands dismissively, "Enough with the bowing! I-It's fine!" I said with a light laugh.

* * *

For some reason, even though my mother had seemed visibly hesitant about the idea of more boys coming over, she didn't refuse the idea at all. In fact, she offered to make a cake for us to reward ourselves when we studied successfully for a few hours.

I spent the evening helping her do the preparatory stages for the Strawberry Shortcake, so it could be refrigerated overnight, and the next day, I relayed my address to Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san during the first break, and gave the go ahead to Hinata and Kageyama-kun at lunch break.

After school's practice went over quickly enough and I headed home to set up. Hinata was already waiting by my house when I got back. I still had no idea how he managed to cross those mountains so quickly that he got back before I did.

My mother, a small woman in her early forties welcomed Hinata easily, knowing him for over a year now, and began chatting with him about how his club practice was going this year.

It was about 20 minutes later when Kageyama-kun arrived with a serious expression his face that came off as a little intimidating to my mother, who seemed a little afraid to approach him as he stood in the Genkan of the house.

"Y-You can put your shoes there…" she shakily said to him, standing a few feet away.

He simply bowed his head, and spoke, "Thank you for having me over, Mogami-san." He said evenly and my mother's shoulders slackened, the tension rolling off ever so slightly.

"A-Ah yes, welcome to our home." She said softly.

"Okaa-san, there's still two others coming, but we're going to head upstairs. There's a tall one with blonde hair and glasses, and another with dark hair and freckles. Could you show them where to go when they come?" I asked my mother.

"Ah, yes, of course, dear. Good luck with your studies, boys." She nodded to Hinata and Kageyama-kun, who nodded in return.

With that, the three of us headed up into my room on the 2nd floor of the house. Ever since having Hinata over quite a few times last year, I'd long shed the anxiety of having a boy in my room. True, there was going to be more than just Hinata this time, but I was still feeling surprisingly calm about it all.

We entered my bedroom together, Hinata leading the way as he was already used to the layout of the house.

My bedroom was a simple, if girly one. The walls were painted a pale lavender colour, and the covers of the bed in the corner were an off-cardinal magenta colour. I had a few bookcases stacked with text books, cds and a few DS game boxes, and a table in the corner with a light and my laptop placed on it, along with some notepads and pens.

I'd laid out a square table in the middle of the floor for us to use ahead of time, along with some cushions to sit on.

Kageyama-kun looked around the room without a word, before stepping inside and putting his bag down near my bed and looking at me as if asking a silent 'is this ok'.

I nodded, "Yes, it's fine to put your bag there." I said to him and he nodded; "Have a seat and get your things out, you guys. I don't know when Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san will get here so we'll start by picking out some of the stuff you don't understand to go through." I said, and they nodded, getting out their books.

I sat across from them and waited for them to be done. When it looked like they were nearly done, Hinata was lifting his head to look at me. But just as he was opening his mouth to ask me something a knock came at the door.

I turned my head and called out, "It's open," to whoever was outside, and my mother opened the door, stepping in slightly.

"Your two other guests have arrived, dear." She said, stepping aside for Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san to come inside. Tsukishima-san seemed nonchalant as he entered, but Yamaguchi-san looked around with pink cheeks, looking like he felt out of place in my room.

"C-Could I have a quick word with you dear?" she asked and I blinked, nodding and getting up to join her; "Sorry to pull her away from you boys when some of you have just arrived. We'll only be a moment." She said and the boys just nodded, as the new arrivals took a seat around the table and put their bags down.

And with that, I left the room with my mother and followed her down the hallway a little.

"What is it, Okaa-san?" I asked her curiously.

"Well… um, I need to make tea for the boys and want you to carry it up!" she said, as if she just decided.

"Um, okay." I nodded, and followed her down the stairs. But I knew something was bothering my mother, because she always gets like this when something's on her mind. And so, I asked her, "Is there something wrong?"

She flinched slightly, before her cheeks turn pink, "I can never hide it from you, huh? W-Well … I was only wondering… which one of them was your boyfriend." She said hesitantly, turning to me.

"E-Eh!?" I gasped, turning red. She covered my mouth hastily.

"Hush, dear, they'll hear you…!" she said, wide eyed, "I-It's an obvious question to ask, isn't it? I mean I had my suspicions when that Hinata boy was coming over so many times last year when you'd never invited a boy over before that, but you insisted he was just a friend so I kept quiet…! But now there're four of them. I'm your mother, so I have a right to know how your love life is going, right?" she asked, her face as red as mine.

"Okaa-san…!" I said exasperatedly, covering my red face. I let out a sigh, trying to calm myself.

"I'm an assistant manager for the boys volleyball team – I told you this! All four of them are from that club and I'm helping them out so they can go to that training camp that I also told you about. You filled out the form to say I could go, remember?" I asked her, trying to keep calm.

"Ah. Yes, I remember. So… you don't like any of those boys like that?" she asked me and I bit my lip.

"I never said that…" I mumbled softly.

"Oh! Which one then? That tall one with the glasses was quite handsome…!" mother probed.

"T-Tsukishima-san…? No way, it's not him!" I quickly denied, (but I couldn't say she was wrong about his looks), "It's… It's Hinata-kun." I admitted, whispering to her.

"Oh my, Moeka-chan…!" my mother smiled knowingly.

"T-The tea… we need to hurry and make it so I can get back to helping them…!" I said, turning away from my mother with pink cheeks and heading to the kitchen.

She followed me with a smile in her voice, "And to think you so vehemently denied it only months ago, saying you were just friends with the boy… I didn't know my daughter was such a convincing liar~" my mother said with no ill-intent in her voice.

I sighed out, hoping that by the time I returned to the room, my blush wouldn't be so blaringly obvious.

* * *

If I was obvious, Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san didn't comment on it, and we settled into studying together. About an hour later, my mother came in with the strawberry shortcake to reward us for a full-hour of non-stop study.

I think she was teasing me a little, by offering Hinata the first slice of the cake, but thankfully, Hinata didn't seem to notice anything, as I gave my mother an exasperated look, feeling my cheeks get pink again.

She was never going to let me hear the end of it, now that she knew. What had I done…?

I also learnt that apparently, Strawberry Shortcake was a favourite of Tsukishima-san's, as Yamaguchi-san told me so when the glasses-wearing blonde lit up at the sight of the cake. Tsukishima-san then proceeded to tell him to shut up already, his cheeks faintly turning pink.

We enjoyed our cake together, before continuing on with study for another hour or two, before the boys left for the night. Hinata promised that next time, his house would be the base for our studying, and they all agreed, though Tsukishima-san took some prodding.

My mother commented to me after they left that she had been initially worried about what kind of boys I was hanging around; like if there were any rowdy delinquents I'd gotten involved with or not; but her worries had been proven wrong, and she liked the boys well enough.

I didn't have the heart to tell her about Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai after hearing her saying that…

* * *

We settled on only doing the big get-together at each others houses a few times before the exam and doing the rest before and after practices, or on our own, since asking Tsukishima-san, Yamaguchi-san and Kageyama-kun to travel for it each time was too much to ask.

That, and my house had suddenly not become an option, when both of my parents had come down with a cold the other day. We couldn't have anyone of the boys getting sick right before a training camp and all.

It came to be four days later at school, and I was walking through the corridors, a face mask to prevent the spreading of germs over my mouth, with a stack of papers once again, having been sent on another errand to the faculty office by my teacher, when it happened.

I bumped into someone, likely female judging by the squeak of shock that came immediately after, as the papers fell to the floor from my hands.

"A-AIYEE! I AM SO, SO SORRY!" the girl yelped, scrambling to the floor and going about picking the papers up; "Let me help pick th-them up…!" she said quickly.

I took a look at her after recovering from the surprise, and realised, it was the same girl that I'd bumped into the other day again. What was the name again…? Oh!

"Yachi-san! Thank you," I said, joining Yachi-san on the floor to pick the papers up with her.

She looked up at me, surprised, "Oh…!" she said, seeming to recognize me, "Um… it was… Mogami-san, right?" she asked and I nodded.

"We keep on meeting like this, huh?" I said with a laugh.

She blanched, "I'm really sorry about this. I wasn't looking where I was going again… you must think I'm such a klutz…!" she said, looking really worried.

"I never said that!" I insisted, hoping she'd see I didn't hold it against her, "Though I hope next time we see each other isn't like this." I added.

She looked like she was fretting, as she gave me the last of the papers.

"Hey, don't worry about it!" I said again, and then a thought came to me so I decided to go for it, "Hey, Yachi-san, are you in any clubs yet?" I asked her.

We'd been unsuccessful so far, looking into club-less classmates from our own classes, to replace me next year, so I'd been thinking of asking Sasaki-san if there were any in her class. But that's Yachi-san's class too, so I thought, why not…?

"Eh?" Yachi-san was caught off guard, "Um, no, I haven't joined any yet. I wasn't sure if there was any that really caught my eye, you know? What about you, Mogami-san?" she asked, wondering about the sudden conversation switch.

"I'm in the boys' volleyball club. " I replied.

"Eh? They let girls join the boys club!?" Yachi-san got the wrong idea.

"No, no! I'm an assistant manager there." I clarified and she turned pink.

"O-Oh… right! Sorry!" she said, looking embarrassed.

I shook my head, "If you don't have a club, why don't you consider joining the boys' volleyball club as an assistant manager like me? I told her and she seemed shocked.

I guess I did spring it on her all of a sudden.

I put my hands together, not above begging for this, "I'm sorry, I know this is sudden! Actually we could really use another one right now, since we haven't been able to find anyone whose free elsewhere, you see…! You'd really be helping us out…!" I said to her.

"I-I don't know…! I don't really know anything about volleyball at all…" she said nervously, "A-And um why would you need another one anyway…?" she added, looking hesitant.

I sighed out, "Well… It's all because I'm such a selfish person, Yachi-san…" I said, beginning to tell her my circumstances. After finishing, I sighed out again, and pushed some of my hair behind my ear, "I'll understand if you say no in the end, Yachi-san, since I sprung this up on you when we hardly know each other. But if you could just come and check the club out, I'd be really happy…!" I said to her.

"Ah… um…" Yachi-san began, biting her lip.

* * *

I managed to get Yachi-san to at least agree to come and take a look after school, and she would meet me outside of the gym around the time practice was getting started.

I pulled Shimizu-senpai aside to inform her of this and a smile graced her lips; she seemed pleased that I'd found a potential applicant. She admitted that it hadn't been going too well on her end, so she was relieved.

We waited outside of the gym for Yachi-san, and she eventually joined us there. She was shocked when she spotted Shimizu-senpai next to me and almost shrunk away back through the doorway again when she did.

I waved her over, assuring her it was alright and she hesitantly shuffled towards us.

I introduced the two, gesturing to Shimizu-senpai, "This is Shimizu Kiyoko-senpai, from third year. She's the current official manager for the club that I work alongside." I said, and turned to Shimizu-senpai, "This is Yachi Hitoka-san, the one I told you about." I added.

Shimizu-senpai nodded, and held out her hand to shake, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yachi-chan-" she was cut off when Yachi-san suddenly bowed dramatically.

"I-I'M IN YOUR CARE…!" she yelped out and we looked at her, surprised. I soon saw her face turning red, and smiled.

I patted her shoulder, "You don't have to be so nervous, Yachi-san. Nobody's expecting anything from you just yet, so just be yourself." I said and she seemed to flinch.

Did I say something wrong…?

Well, she slowly stood up and nodded to us, and we took that as our signal to guide her inside the gym.

"You don't have to worry," Shimizu-senpai told Yachi-san, "Though some of them are a little rowdy, they're all nice, aren't they, Mogami-chan?" she said, glancing to me as we guided her up the steps.

"That's right!" I agreed, smiling to both girls.

Shimizu-senpai went first, calling for the boys' attention, "Um! Could I have your attention for a moment?" she asked, as we stepped inside. Everyone's eyes went to Yachi-san right away and I could tell she was nervous. I patted her shoulder gently, showing I was there for her.

"EH? YOU FOUND SOMEONE!?" Hinata asked, looking excited.

"Eh? What's this, what's this?" Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai asked, sliding over to see.

"She'll be a temporary member serving as an assistant manager like Mogami-chan. Though she's just observing for now, since she hasn't decided yet." Shimizu-senpai told the boys as they wandered over.

"I'M Y-YACHI HITOKA…! F-From class 1-5…!" she said nervously, stammering her way through it.

I nodded, "Please take good care of her while she's here." I added, glancing at everyone. Thankfully, they all seemed happy to have Yachi-san there. I think I might even have spotted a flush on Yamaguchi-san's cheeks…?

But when Asahi-senpai approached her she quailed in fright, even though he wasn't saying anything bad, and hid behind me.

"A-Ah, Yachi-san it's alright…! Asahi-senpai is really kind and gentle." I reassured her and she hesitantly peeked out from behind me. Asahi-senpai seemed a little surprised at the reaction he'd gotten.

"A-Anyway, that's great…! You guys will still have a manager next year, even with Mogami-san moving on to the girls' team." Asahi-senpai said nervously.

"Yeah!" Hinata agreed.

"Ah… uh…!" Yachi-san stammered, still shocked.

"T-Temporary…! She's only observing for now…!" Shimizu-senpai reiterated, noticing Yachi-san's unease.

"She only came here a bit before her committee work because I asked her to, today, so…!" I added.

"I'll be in your care…!" Yachi-san nervously said, bowing to the boys.

"US, TOO!" everyone said loudly, bowing and she jumped in surprise.

"T-Try to not gather around her to greet her like that, until she's used to it." I added, rubbing Yachi-san's back to comfort her. They just looked at me as if they didn't know what I was talking about. I almost sighed in exasperation at them.

"I-I really need to be going now though… I'll be back again." Yachi-san then said and I turned to her, nodding.

"Of course. Thank you so much for coming over here even when I sprung it on you so suddenly. I really appreciate that you're considering it." I said to her.

She shook her head, "It's fine. Umm… then I'll see you around?" she tried to say.

I nodded, "Of course! Since we're friends now." I agreed.

She turned pink, "Friends…" she repeated softly, and smiled nervously, "Yeah. Ok. Um, bye, then." She said, and hesitantly waved to the boys goodbye, before quickly ducking out of the gym and closing the doors.

I sighed out slightly, and then felt a presence behind me, and turned around to see Hinata smiling at me.

"A new friend?" he asked me.

I nodded, smiling back, "Yes." I agreed.

"I hope she joins us! She seemed nice, although she looked a little scared." He said.

I agreed, "She was just nervous since she didn't know you guys. She's a little skittish too, but I think this kind of environment might be good when she gets used to it. She's a really organized person – I saw her study notes by chance recently, and they were really good. Which is why I thought she'd be good at managing, once she gets used to everything, you see." I explained.

"Ohh… She said she was in class 1-5 right? So she must be pretty smart, too." Hinata said, looking thoughtful.

I blinked at him, curious, "That's right." I nodded, "Why?" I asked him.

"Nothin'! Gotta get to practice now! Watch me?" he asked.

I smiled a little, "I always do." I said softly, and he grinned.

"Okay! Let's do this, Kageyama!" Hinata said, turning on his way and heading over to the dark haired Setter. Now that he was getting to work, so would I, ignoring the nagging curiosity over why Hinata wanted to remember that detail about Yachi-san.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Here comes Yachi~! I hope you liked this chapter, and the introduction of Mogami's mom. She's not going to be a huge part of the story – at best, random appearances once or twice more! But I'd been thinking that maybe you'd like a glimpse at what her family's like, or at least some of them. Her mom's a housewife, invested in her child's love life apparently, and is quite the baker, and her dad works long hours and goes on trips overseas to China often as a businessman. She's an only child.**

 **Anyways, comments are appreciated very much. ^^**

 **My Yuri on Ice will be starting on Sunday so I might be changing the day I post updates for this story to avoid stressing out too much on the weekend. We'll see what happens. I hope you check out my Yuri on Ice story – it's Phichit x OC! :)**


	34. 34 Townsperson B

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 34 – Townsperson B.**

It was the third day in a row of my father's bad cold, and my dad had soldiered into work today despite the fact that it hadn't completely receded. My mother had recovered quicker, and had asked me to come home early to help her look after him when I was done with club activities.

I was assisting with spiking practice, helping Kinoshita-senpai, Ennoshita-senpai and Narita-senpai, when I heard Hinata greet Yachi-san at the door.

"Yachi-san!" he said and I turned my head to watch them; Hinata was showing Yachi-san a piece of paper excitedly, "The stuff you showed us earlier… showed up on my afternoon English Quiz! And I got over one third correct!" he told her.

Yachi-san's timid expression brightened into a pleased one, and the two cheered together.

"That's the strength of Hinata's communication skills. They're already getting along swimmingly." Suga-senpai commented, watching as I was.

"He was friendly with Nekoma's Setter from the get-go as well." Asahi-senpai agreed. I hummed thoughtfully to myself, before Shimizu-senpai called me over to where she was now standing by Yachi-san.

I excused myself from the senpai I was helping and headed over towards them.

"Yachi-chan is just going to watch the team practice today, so can you stick by her side to help me to explain anything she doesn't understand?" Shimizu-senpai said to me and I nodded.

"Of course!" I said, and went to stand by Yachi-san's side, "Hi." I said to her with a smile and she smiled and greeted me in return.

"Ah, yes, and remember to watch out for stray balls!" Shimizu-senpai added and as I nodded, Yachi-san seemed to lock up in concern at hearing that.

I patted her shoulder, "It's not as if they'll be aiming right for you. Senpai's just saying to keep on your guard and be ready to move." I said to her.

"A-Ah… I didn't realise Volleyball was such a dangerous sport." Yachi-san said nervously.

"Well it's certainly an exciting one with these boys around." Shimizu-senpai said with a small laugh.

After a moment, I secretly glanced over to her while remaining faced towards the court. I thought back to how Hinata had approached her at the door a moment ago.

What had Hinata meant about the stuff Yachi-san had shown him earlier…?

"Watch out!" I heard a voice and snapped my eyes back to the court in surprise, to see a ball hurtling towards Yachi-san's face before I could totally react.

Before we even saw him coming, Hinata leapt in front of us and received the ball one-handed.

"Nice one, Hinata!" Tanaka-senpai called over, as Yachi-san and I tried to calm our racing hearts. Yachi-san was watching in wonder, probably surprised by Hinata's reflexes, and how fast the ball had been coming.

I swallowed, and turned to Yachi-san, "A-Are you okay?" I asked her, and she shakily nodded.

"I-I think that took a few years off my life…" she uttered.

"That's a little dramatic," I chuckled, "But yeah… Shimizu-senpai told me that in regards to offensive power, Karasuno is among the best in the prefecture." I added.

"A-Ah…" Yachi-san shakily nodded, still a little stiff from the shock.

"That's right. In the past, Karasuno was strong enough to go to Nationals." Shimizu-senpai agreed.

"Nationals…!" Yachi-san was amazed.

"Uooohh…! Kiyoko-san and Moeka-san are chatting… and smiling… Kiyoko-san's lips are moving…!" Tanaka-senpai cooed, blushing.

"So this is what they call 'girl-talk'…!" Nishinoya-senpai added.

"Hey! Don't go losing your heads, dammit!" Ukai-san yelled at them for getting distracted. I shook my head at them exasperatedly. What were they even doing…?

Shimizu-senpai went on to explain to Yachi-san about Karasuno's fall from grace a few years ago, and how the team planned to build themselves back up to National Level once again.

Yachi-san was moved, and commented, saying "Amazing! That's completely different from me…!"

Shimizu-senpai and I looked at her, confused by her statement.

After that, we continued to observe the practice for the rest of club activities' time. Due to my family circumstances and needing to assist my mother that night, I was given permission by Daichi-senpai and Ukai-san to go home ahead of the others, after the Coach gave an announcement that tomorrow there would be a practice match against another school in our gym.

As I left the gym, everyone called out goodbye to me, and I was on my way.

It wasn't until I was standing at my bus-stop awaiting my bus, that I remembered that I'd wanted to ask Yachi-san what Hinata was talking about with her. Well, it would have to wait for another time.

* * *

"It looks like Ouginishi High's coming at 4.30!" Ukai-san announced to us the next day after school, as everyone went about setting things up for the practice match. Yachi-san and I were bringing out chairs for the coaches and reserves to sit on during the match, when Hinata approached us.

"Need any help!?" he asked and Yachi-san jumped in fright.

I smiled, "It's okay, Yachi-san and I have got it, right?" I said, nodding to her.

"Oh, er, um, yes…!" Yachi-san nodded in agreement, still looking a little startled.

And then Hinata roughly clapped his cheeks; a method of his for getting fired up, I'd found.

"We're totally gonna win this!" he said and I just quietly smiled behind my facemask. I couldn't wait until I could safely take this thing off. Family colds were the worst.

"Umm… You're talking about the practice match today, right…?" Yachi-san asked Hinata.

Hinata blinked at her, "Yeah?" he asked, confused.

"I was wondering… how you're able to work so hard… both in studying to go on that trip… and for a match that isn't even an official game…?" Yachi-san said slowly.

"Huh? Cause I wanna get stronger… and win?" Hinata answered, not understanding.

"A-Ah, I see… I guess you've probably got all kinds of reasons, huh?" Yachi-san said, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

"Well… with Hinata-kun it's as simple as wanting to win." I said to her and she blinked at me.

"Exactly." Hinata said and we looked at him; he had this intense look in his eyes again; "Besides, do you need a reason to not want to lose?" he asked Yachi-san, who flinched at his 'aura'.

He then turned to Kageyama-kun, "Hey, Kageyama! Can you think of a reason for not wanting to lose?" he asked him.

"Haah? Who cares about that sort of thing? Is there a reason you wanna eat when you're hungry?" Kageyama-kun said, rolling his eyes. Yachi-san seemed especially surprised to hear that comparison. And Hinata was agreeing with Kageyama-kun – those two really were of the same type.

"You'll have to get used to this, Yachi-san. It's just the way those two are." I told her with a smile.

"Yeah, s-sorry, it was a silly thing to ask." Yachi-san apologised, wearing a nervous smile.

"What do you mean by that?" those two spoke in unison again.

Tsukishima-san, who had been standing close by, lost his patience; "A stupid question, or a way of belittling your own words! It's what you just did." he said to them with a glare and they jumped in surprise.

Any further conversation was interrupted when Ouginishi High School's team arrived for the practice match. That meant our boys needed to get changed into their jerseys, and it turned out it was just as awkward when they took their shirts off for Yachi-san, as it was for me.

She was also witness to the boys' usual antics, and coined the perfect phrase to describe them. 'An unruly flock…'

Shimizu-senpai and I giggled amongst ourselves, finding it quite suiting.

The practice match went by without a hitch, with Karasuno as the victor, and curiously, Hinata approached Yachi-san again afterwards to chat. I think he was trying to make her feel welcomed here, and it was working. I was happy for Yachi-san, but… it still made me feel a little uncomfortable for some reason.

I berated myself for feeling anything but happy for Yachi-san, and went over to join them.

Yachi-san seemed nervous when I approached and I tilted my head; "Yachi-san, what's the matter?" I asked her.

"It's just… someone like me, who doesn't know the first thing about sports… I'd only be a burden to such an incredible club…!" she said self-depreciatingly.

"Oh, come to think of it, I think I had a part like that. Townsperson B!" Hinata jumped in and I was immediately lost.

"Huh?" I looked at him quizzically.

He rubbed the back of his head, grinning nervously, "It's just something Yachi-san and I were talking about earlier. She said she'd only ever played Townsperson B in the school play before or something. I was just trying to be encouraging, you know…?" he said, and turned to Kageyama-kun; "Anyway, I ended up standing out more than the main character so everyone got mad at me. Do you remember, Mogami-san?" he asked me.

I blinked, "Um, yes… I remember." I nodded slowly; so he was talking about the school play his class had put on back in middle school 2nd year for cultural week, when I'd only known him for about a few months at the time.

I remembered watching the play's showing during my break from my class's café under my matchmaking friend's orders, and Hinata wasn't kidding. He got way too into his role, and spoke his two lines far louder than necessary.

Kageyama-kun sniggered, "Villager B, huh…" he said and Hinata glared at him.

"Hey, don't make fun of that, you bastard! Villager B has his good points, too, you know!" Hinata snapped at him and I heard Yachi-san gasp beside me.

I glanced over to see her staring at Hinata, and furrowed my brows, biting down whatever tightness was welling up in my chest.

It was probably nothing, so I ignored it and continued following this ridiculous conversation.

"So what did you play, Kageyama!?" Hinata retorted to Kageyama-kun.

"The moon, for one." Kageyama-kun replied.

"Dammit, that's cool!" Hinata cursed, as Tsukishima-san questioned if such a role was even necessary.

"I played horses, and things like that." Asahi-senpai joined in, and his fellow third-years found that hilarious. I smiled at the silly conversation, and then a thought came to me.

"Oh yeah, by the way, Yachi-san…" I turned to Yachi-san and Hinata; "The other day Hinata-kun was showing you a test paper when you came in. What was that about?" I asked them.

"Oh! Um, I've been helping Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun with their studying for the exam. They asked be about it earlier yesterday morning, during break." Yachi-san answered and I let out a soft 'oh.'

I looked to Hinata, "So is that why you two didn't come along to my class at break this time?" I asked him. I'd been wondering about that. Hinata looked a little abashed.

"Um…" he glanced to Kageyama-kun and elbowed him harshly, "S-say something…?!" he said to the Setter, who twitched, and looked at him angrily, before sighing out.

"You'd told us about how your dad was sick and you'd been helping your mom look after him in the evening. So we thought you could use a break so you could focus on yourself." He admitted and I stared at them.

Hinata nodded rapidly, "Yeah! We didn't want you to get too stressed out, so we asked Yachi-san for help!" he added.

' _Oh. I see…_ ' I thought to myself, ' _That may have been why Hinata-kun was so curious about Yachi-san's class number too… they were looking out for me, but still…_ ' you sighed out lightly.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Mogami-san…!" Yachi-san ducked into several bows, one after another, all aimed at me, "I-I butted into something personal didn't I?! I'm so sorry…!" she yelped out and I flushed pink.

"A-Ah, no, it's not your fault, Yachi-san! Please stop bowing…!" I gasped at her, grabbing her shoulders to bring her back upright, and once I had eye-contact, I smiled to try and reassure the anxious girl.

"You're n-not mad…?" she asked quietly.

I shook my head, "No, I'm not. I just kinda wish I'd known about it. Thank you for helping them out." I said gently.

"Sorry for keeping it quiet!" Hinata jumped in, looking apologetic as well.

"Sorry." Kageyama-kun bowed his head slightly, his expression serious as ever. I sighed and nodded, accepting the apologies and feeling embarrassed for that illogical anxiety I'd felt earlier. Of course the boys were allowed to study with other people too. I was just being silly.

"My dad'll be better by Sunday… so why don't the six of us all study together again at my place?" I asked them, and the three of them looked guilty again for some reason; "What?" I asked them.

"Kageyama and I kind of already arranged to meet up at Yachi-san's place on Sunday." Hinata added, and that uncomfortable feeling bubbled up again against my best wishes.

"O-Oh…" was all I could say.

"I-I'm sorry! Um, you can come too, Mogami-san! I'll give you my address," Yachi-san said, worried.

I shook my head, putting on a smile, "No it's okay. I've actually got some errands to run on Sunday, anyways…" I said quickly, brushing some bangs behind my ear nervously and turning to leave, "Anyway, I've still got to go home ahead of the others so I'm going to go straight to get changed, okay? See you guys tomorrow." I said, and tucked my head in a bow before walking away.

As I left, I heard Kageyama-kun muttering "What's the matter with her?" and I could only agree with him.

What _is_ the matter with me…?

* * *

Saying I had errands to run on Sunday had originally been an excuse to escape an awkward situation, but turned out, on Saturday evening a situation did crop up that required an errand be run, as well as pocket-money I'd been saving up for a new bike.

My computer had been acting up every now and then for a while now, but it hadn't been bothering me enough for it to actually be a huge problem, but last night it just completely crashed.

After consulting on what to do with my parents, they told me I should just take it in to get repaired at the store we'd bought it from, a bit further of a bus-ride away than it was for me to get to school this time.

And so, on Sunday morning, I had taken a bus into town trying not to think about how Hinata and Kageyama-kun were likely studying over at Yachi-san's place right now.

I arrived in the shopping district that the computer shop was located in and stepped off the bus, dressed in a long skirt, a top and a cardigan, with my laptop packed in a black laptop case under my arm along with a bag holding my essentials and purse.

I'd been walking on my way to the store for about 10 minutes, when I heard someone calling out to me from behind.

"Hey! It's Mogami-san, right?" the voice who called this to me wasn't a voice I was overly familiar with, but it did feel like I'd heard it at least once before.

It was followed by another voice that was slightly more familiar sounding; "Be quiet, Akira…!" the voice frantically hissed.

Curious, I turned around to see who it was, and saw Kindaichi-san and Kunimi-san standing a few feet away from me, in casual clothes.

Kunimi-san raised a hand, "Yo." He said cooly.

Kindaichi-san, red-faced, nervously brushed back at his hair in vain, "U-Uh, hey Mogami-san. What brings you around here? This is closer to Seijoh than Karasuno." He asked me.

I smiled a little, rubbing my cheek nervously as I held up my laptop back, "My laptop died on me last night and it kinda has most of my study notes on it. I was an idiot and didn't back it up, so I came here hoping to get it fixed as quickly as possible." I answered him.

"Oh... Got a test coming up? …Um, Seijoh had theirs just the other day. It was rough." Kindaichi-san commented.

"Yeah, it's in 10 days." I nodded.

"H-How do you think you'll do..?" Kindaichi-san said after an awkward pause.

"I think I'll do well. It's just that I'd like to do better, you know? Which is why I need my laptop fixed to get access to my notes." I said, and we fell into another awkward silence.

Kindaichi-san's face was awfully red. I wondered if there was a virus going around in this area too.

Suddenly, Kunimi-san spoke up, his phone in hand, "Sorry, it looks like I have to leave. My parents need some help with something at home, so I'm out of here." He said, and Kindaichi-san glared at him.

"You liar! There's nothi—" Kunimi-san covered up Kindaichi-san's mouth all of a sudden, and whispered something into his ear; whatever it was cause Kindaichi-san to turn even redder.

Kunimi-san pulled his hand away and rubbed it off on his jeans, and waved to me lazily, "See you some other time, Mogami-san." He said and I nodded to him.

"Yes. It was nice seeing you again." I agreed.

With that, Kunimi-san left the two of us standing there and walked away, hands in his pockets.

"What was that all about, Kindaichi-san?" I asked him.

"I-It's nothing. He's just meddling…" he mumbled the second part, but I heard it. I stared at him for a moment, before shrugging.

"Did you have anything to do around here? I was thinking of getting something to eat and looking around while I waited for the repair work to be finished. It'd be nice to have some company." I suggested to him.

His entire face turned maroon at that, or at least it seemed like it did.

"R-Really? I-I mean… sure!" he agreed, seeming pleased despite his flush.

I smiled, "Great. I think the shop I need to drop this laptop is over this way." I said to him and he nodded, timidly shuffling over to walk beside me as we headed on her way.

Waiting around for the repair work to finish shouldn't be as boring as I originally thought it'd be. It's a good thing I ran into Kindaichi-san and Kunimi-san.

* * *

 **onigiriri: So a lot of people thought Moeka was going to get jealous of Yachi. It wasn't originally the plan, I'll admit it, but I decided to go with it. Don't worry though, I know what I'm doing…! xP**

 **Surprise at the end of the chapter, its Kindaichi! Please don't boo him too much, but he'll be in the next chapter too!**

 **Haikyuu updates are moved to Wednesdays because I've started a Yuri on Ice story which will be a Sunday story, but I'm not sure if it will be as consistently updated as this one is yet. I hope you'll check it out though; it's called 'The King and the Skater' and it's Phichit x OC. The first chapter was posted on April 30** **th** **!**


	35. 35 Date

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate,_ _Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 35 – Date.**

Kindaichi-san and I found the computer repair shop easily enough, and after giving it a quick check over with the clerk on duty they deduced that a wipe of the hard-drive was going to be needed. While this wasn't good news for my digital copy of study notes, it wasn't the end of the world.

I left my laptop with the clerk to do what they needed to do, and was to return an hour later to pick it back up.

That left me with an hour to kill in town, and I needed to decide what I should do with it. Well, Kindaichi-san was with me, so… oh! I had an idea.

I turned to Kindaichi-san with my question, "Kindaichi-san, you shop in this area quite often, right?" I asked him.

He nodded, "Y-Yeah, since it's close to where I live." He agreed.

"So… do you know if there's any good sports shops that have volleyball gear?" I asked him.

"Yeah, there's a S'Port Mizuno store just up the road. But why do you need volleyball gear? You're just Karasuno's manager, right? …Oh, are you running errands for one of those guys?" he asked me, as he began leading me to where I presumed the store was located.

I nodded, "It's true that I'm the manager right now... but the gear is for me. I played competitively on my middle school team. And I've actually decided to switch to the girls' team from my 2nd year. So I thought I should start practicing again and I kinda need new knee guards and shoes." I explained.

Kindaichi-san looked surprised, and then after a moment he looked a little disappointed, "So… next year, we won't be seeing you if we face Karasuno." He commented.

"Well, not as their manager. But if our matches don't overlap, I'd probably be there cheering for them!" I said.

"Huh…" he nodded, looking down. After another awkward moment of silence, he spoke up again, looking nervous, "So what made you decide to start volleyball again? You looked like you were enjoying watching the matches. I could hear your cheering for the number 10 guy a lot, from down on the court." He asked.

I blushed a little, "Well, watching is fun, and I can't help but want to cheer for Hinata-kun," I nodded slowly, fiddling with my fingers thoughtfully, "He's so earnest and really gives it all… E-Everyone does…! So I want to repay their hard work by showing my support! A-Anyway, that's not what you asked. Um…" I shook my head, trying to will away my blush.

I continued, "Something about watching Karasuno play so far this year, especially the semi-finals against you guys, kept making me wish I was a part of the match myself. Something more than just watching from the sidelines. I guess you could say my passion is rekindled…?" I said with an awkward laugh.

"Rekindled?" Kindaichi-san repeated, looking curious.

"I… When I played in middle school, our team was thrashed in the semi-finals, a lot like Karasuno were, and my self-confidence took a huge blow. I'd never had a lot of confidence in the first place, really. So, at the first sign of a road block, I totally gave up. Seeing how Karasuno got up again, after being totally defeated and have the drive and passion to try again really inspired me. What you said about Oikawa-san and your other senpai really stuck with me too." I explained and turned to him, smiling.

"So, thank you! I feel like watching you guys this year gave me the courage to become a stronger person!" I said to him, my cheeks pink.

It's a little embarrassing, but it's easy to open up to Kindaichi-san. Kindaichi-san has been so nice to me even though we hardly knew each other; he even went to the trouble to comfort me while his team-mates celebrated their victory; so I feel relaxed around him.

Kindaichi-san's face turned a bright pink, and he turned his head away from me, covering half his face with his hand.

"I-I didn't really do much." He insisted, and glanced up at the store by us; "W-We're here." He added, and I looked up at the sign. It read 'S'Port Mizuno.'

Ah… so we were.

"Can you show me where the knee-pads for girls are?" I asked him.

"Sure." He nodded, and we entered the store.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, we exited the store again, and I carried with me a plastic bag with two pairs of knee guards, and a single volleyball.

I checked the time on my phone, "We've still got at least half an hour before I need to get back to the computer repair store." I said to Kindaichi-san.

"Yeah… We could get something to eat. Are you hungry?" he asked me, and as if to answer for me, my stomach started gurgling.

I blushed lightly, covering my stomach as Kindaichi-san laughed a little, "Looks like I am. Are you?" I asked him in return.

"A little. That place over there has good burgers! Some of the guys from Seijoh go there a lot." He said, pointing to a burger place across the road.

I nodded, "Lead the way." I nodded, and he began guiding me over to the place. Ten or fifteen minutes later, we had our orders, and were sitting down at a table that was against the glass windows of the restaurant's outer-walls, where you could watch other shoppers walk by as you eat.

I'd ordered a plain, average-sized burger and fries, with a drink, while Kindaichi-san had gotten a larger burger, along with the same fries and drink.

As we ate, we chatted for a while about school, volleyball, and things we'd seen recently on TV until the topic drifted towards volleyball again when Kindaichi-san brought up his middle-school days with Kageyama-kun.

"At first, he wasn't so bad, when we were second years and one of the third years was still our main Setter. I even got along with the guy well enough, even if he did sometimes get on my nerves a little. It's when we became third years that he got really overbearing. Akira and I think being the starting Setter got to his head a little; he took everything way too seriously. Everything had to be perfect. We had to jump as high as he wanted us to, when he wanted us to. And if we couldn't, it was hell. His expectations were too damned high." He explained, furrowing his brows.

"You said you were at that match against the school that number 10 went to, so you must've seen what I mean." He added.

I nodded, "It was kinda scary to watch. Kageyama-kun was really intense. He still is sometimes." I agreed.

"You see? I kinda felt bad for those guys in Karasuno when I heard he went there. But then when you guys came for that practice match, he was different to what I remembered," he said.

I nodded, remembering back when Kindaichi-san and Kageyama-kun met briefly, just before going to the gym.

Kindaichi-san had tried to rile him up, and Kageyama-kun had ignored it and remained calm.

Kindaichi-san snorted slightly, "Though that number 10 friend of yours seemed terrified of him, during that match, so then I'd thought maybe Kageyama hadn't changed so much after all." He added.

I shook my head, "No, he's changed! This time, he's earnestly trying his best to be a part of a team." I interrupted, and Kindaichi-san looked up at me from his drink, surprised; I pushed on, "I admit at first I didn't like him that much, my impression of him tainted 'cause of what I'd seen last year, but after a while, I paid more attention to him, and found out he's just some awkward guy with bad social skills who loves volleyball more than anything!" I said, and smiled at the thought.

I looked up to Kindaichi-san, "Maybe you've had bad experiences with him in the past, Kindaichi-san, and maybe you can't forgive him for the way he acted at that time, but you should always try to give someone a second chance. Especially when they're trying so hard to become better." I said passionately. After all, I did, and now I consider Kageyama-kun a good friend.

It goes to show. You can't judge someone based on what your first impression of them was.

I hoped that Kindaichi-san could see what I was talking about.

If they used to be friends during middle school, I really hope they could patch things up, and become friends once again.

I'd be really happy, if that could happen.

Kindaichi-san sat, seeming dazed at what I'd said, before flushing and putting the straw of his drink to his mouth, sucking thoughtfully.

I smiled to him, "Just think about what I said?" I asked him, tilting my head.

He nodded, "I'll think about it…" he said, frowning slightly.

Satisfied with that, I nodded to myself, and continued with my meal as well. We didn't speak much after that while we were together, but I expected that. Kindaichi-san was probably thinking about a lot of things. About his middle school years playing with Kageyama-kun, among other things.

By the time the hour of waiting was up, we had arrived at the computer repair store again just in time. I reclaimed my laptop and Kindaichi-san accompanied me to the bus stop, waiting with me for it to arrive.

As it arrived and I got ready to board, I turned to Kindaichi-san with a smile,

"I had a good time today, Kindaichi-san. Thank you for staying with me. See you again, soon?" I asked him.

He nodded, "Yeah. I had a good time, too. See you soon," he said.

I nodded, getting on to the bus, "I'll text you to let you know I made it home safe," I said, as the bus doors closed between us and the bus pulled away.

* * *

The next day after school, at club practice, Daichi-senpai gathered us all together for an announcement. Yachi-san was by his side, as were Shimizu-senpai and I. Apparently, the other day while I was in town with Kindaichi-san and Hinata and Kageyama-kun were with Yachi-san, the petit blond girl had finally come to a decision about joining the club as an assistant manager, which was very exciting.

"Starting today, Yachi-san is officially joining as an assistant manager, so…" Daichi-senpai began, and nodded to Shimizu-senpai and I.

We approached Yachi-san, and handed to her, her very own Karasuno Volleyball Club jacket. She took it, looking at it in wonder with pink cheeks.

"Ready, and…" Daichi-san began, and the rest of the boys joined in with him exuberantly, yelling a "Welcome! To Karasuno Volleyball Club!" for Yachi-san.

She jumped, startled, but flushed, pleased, and bowed to the boys.

"T-Thanks for having me…!" she cried out, and the boys all nodded.

I leaned over, smiling to Yachi-san happily, "Really, this means a lot to us, Yachi-san. I think you'll fit right in, here." I said to her.

She turned to me, "Y-You think so…?" she asked me, and I nodded.

"I know so." I agreed.

She smiled, "I-It's all thanks to Hinata, that I had the courage to stand up for something I wanted to do, after all. If anything, I'm the g-grateful one…!" she said and Hinata laughed and smiled.

"Naw! You found the courage all on your own!" he said and Yachi-san smiled happily at him.

My gut twisted uncomfortably again. I didn't like how they were smiling at each other. But I also didn't like how uncomfortable it made me. They were just acting like friends do, after all. Laughing and smiling together. Helping each other out.

This shouldn't bother me.

…But it does. It sucks, but I feel jealous, even though I shouldn't…! Hinata is allowed to have other female friends, after all. I can't deny him that, because of my own feelings. That's not fair.

"Hey, Mogami-san, can I talk with you?" Suga-senpai's voice suddenly snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up to him.

"H-Huh? Oh, of course." I nodded nervously.

He nodded and gestured to a spot a little further away from Hinata and Yachi-san; I agreed wordlessly and followed him over there.

Once we arrived, he leaned in, and whispered; "So… I saw you yesterday." He began and I blinked at him, "In town. You went into S'Ports Mizuno." He clarified, and I widened my eyes in realization.

"Oh, yes! I'd taken my laptop in for repair, and decided to buy some new knee-guards while I was in town." I explained.

Suga-senpai nodded, and he looked a bit frustrated, "You… were with someone from Seijoh." He added.

I nodded, "Oh, yeah. It's because I happened to run into Kindaichi-san and Kunimi-san, but Kunimi-san had to leave, so it was just the two of us. I had an hour to kill while my laptop was getting repaired so Kindaichi-san stayed with me. What's wrong, Suga-senpai?" I asked him.

"It's nothing! I just… I guess what I'm trying to ask is… How long have you and Kindaichi-san have been dating?" he asked and I yelped, eyes widening. My face suddenly felt incredibly hot.

"D-Dating, wha… W-We're not…!" I said, shaking my head.

"But after you guys came out, you guys went to eat together. Asahi and I saw!" Suga-senpai said, pointing to the nearby Asahi-senpai, who jumped, nearly dropping his water bottle at the accusation.

"E-Eh, that is… We just happened to be in the area and saw. Sorry, we didn't mean to intrude!" he said, waving his hands nervously.

"Eh, what's this, what's this?!" Nishinoya-senpai slid in, joining the conversation.

He was followed by Tanaka-senpai, who held a murderous expression, "Which idiot thinks he can date our cutie manager and get away with it!?" he asked, cracking his knuckles.

"Hey, quit it with the intimidation tactics. If Mogami-san wants to date, she can-" Suga-san began exasperatedly.

"I-IT WASN'T A DATE…!" I raised my voice accidentally, my face impossibly red.

"Ehhh, d-dating? Mogami-san is so mature…!" Yachi-san's voice came to my attention and I turned around quickly, to see that she and Hinata had come over towards us as well.

My attention was drawn towards Hinata's expression. He seemed stunned, his eyes wide. Like the wind had been knocked out of him.

"You said you had something to do on Sunday… so that was…?" he asked uncertainly.

"I-It was most certainly not because of a 'date'!" I insisted, flustered; I looked to Hinata with as serious an expression as I could muster, "It was just a coincidence that I met up with Kindaichi-san yesterday. I was there to get my laptop repaired and we just happened to meet up, and decided to hang out for a while, honest. K-Kindaichi-san and I are just friends, honest…! And I'm sure Kindaichi-san also considers me a friend." I said, hoping he would believe me.

Hinata stood silently, his eyes averted as he took it all in. After a few moments, he swallowed wordlessly, and laughed nervously.

"O-Oh! I get it!" he said, and glanced over to Yachi-san and Kageyama-kun, "Hey, you're not busy after school today, right? We were all gonna get together and study together one more time before the exams tomorrow. Wanna join us?" he asked me.

Yachi-san nodded, "I-It'd be nice if you could come." She agreed with Hinata.

I nodded, smiling and feeling relieved, "Yeah, I'm not busy. I'd love to come." I said to him and he smiled awkwardly back.

Thank god, he'd believed me. Looking back on yesterday, I guess it's true that an outsider would've thought Kindaichi-san and I were on a date… I hadn't even realised it at the time.

The last thing I want is to give out the wrong idea.

The only one I want to go out on a date with is Hinata… but I wondered if he'd want the same.

He seemed bothered by the idea of Kindaichi-san and I on a 'date'… I couldn't help but hope that that meant _something_.

* * *

The final cramming session at Yachi-san's home went over well, and I even got to briefly meet Yachi-san's mother. She was a very beautiful young woman, with a keen fashion sense _and_ work sense. Apparently she was a Graphic Designer. Suddenly, Yachi-san's well-organized, colour-coded notes made a little bit more sense.

The exams came and went, and finally, it was a few days until the training camp trip. I hurried over to meet with Hinata, Kageyama-kun and Yachi-san with a spring in my step, quite pleased with my 92% score. All the studying I had been doing lately had paid off.

Not even the shit-eating, smug grin Tsukishima-san pulled while holding up his 98% scored paper could ruin my good mood.

I'd been hoping that Hinata, Kageyama-kun and our senpai's studies had also paid off.

But when I approached the corridor outside of Kageyama-kun's classroom, where the three of them were all standing, their expressions caused me to frown.

Yachi-san was holding Hinata's paper, trembling, while Hinata himself looked almost as if his soul had left his body, hunched over and pale. Kageyama-kun didn't look much happier.

Tentatively, I approached them, "Hey, g-guys…? What's going on? How did your exams go?" I asked, and jumped in shock when Yachi-san turned to me, bursting into tears.

"M-Mogami-san it doesn't m-make any sense…! T-This has got to be a nightmare, r-right…?!" she asked, and showed me Hinata's marks. Upon seeing them, I paled too, and took the paper to look over the answers.

My jaw dropped, "Th-They were mostly right…! But Hinata-kun… he…" I couldn't believe this was happening…

"If only he'd filled them in the correct boxes he'd have passed with flying colours – this isn't f-fair…!" Yachi-san wailed.

"Wah, Yachi-san, don't cry…!" I gasped, patting her shoulders; I glanced from Hinata, who seemed scarily out of it, to Kageyama-kun, who looked incredibly grim as well; "Kageyama-kun, too?" I asked.

"K-Kageyama-kun passed most of them, but failed a few important tests. Th-they're both going to need to retake them on Sunday…!" Yachi-san explained.

"But that's the day the training camp in Tokyo starts!" I said.

"I know!" Yachi-san cried in dismay.

Could this day get any worse? My good mood from my own scores had been completely pushed to the side by this bad news. I frowned in concern, looking to Hinata. I knew he'd been so excited for the training camp, and had worked so hard to be able to go, only for this little goof to mess everything up.

I hoped that somehow, something could be done to let the two of them go to the training camp.

* * *

The boys' savior came in the form of Tanaka-senpai, who had miraculously passed his exams as well as Nishinoya-senpai. He managed to call in a favour with his older sister who was in college, and had a car.

The deal was that Hinata and Kageyama-kun would complete their retake exams and then Tanaka-senpai's older sister would meet them at the school and drive them straight to Tokyo to join us.

With that reassuring plan in place, I boarded the rented school bus with the rest of the boys, Yachi-san and Shimizu-senpai and we set off on our way to Tokyo.

I couldn't wait to see Micchan again…!

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Sorry for the slight delay! I meant to have this out yesterday, but as I had the flu, it took longer to get this out than I thought it would. I'm mostly better now, though! :)**

 **Had a KindaiMi moment and a HinaMi moment in this chapter, which I hope you guys all liked. As you can see, Kindaichi has no chance, the poor guy. I'm eventually going to have to break his heart, awww. :(**

 **Next chapter, I finally get to write a certain Horned Owl, and also a certain Half-Russian Cat! I'm so excited!**

 **You guys' feedback means the world to me~ Let me know how you liked this chapter!**


	36. 36 Owl and Lion

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate_ , _Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 36 – Owl & Lion.**

After a long bus ride, we finally arrived in Saitama prefecture, the location of the training camp. It was being held at one of the participating schools, Shinzen's rather large gym.

As soon as I got off the bus, the first thing I saw was Michiko, running at me too fast for me to react. Before I could even call out her name, I was wrapped up in her arms, and stumbling to regain my balance.

I laughed, and hugged her back, and after a while, she finally pulled away.

"I missed you too, Micchan," I said with a chuckle.

Michiko smiled happily, "I almost thought I wasn't going to see you at one of these things again, Ms. Switching-to-the-Girls' Team! So of course I'm gonna be happy to see you!" she said.

"I told you, that's not until next year." I reminded her.

"I know that! It's still exciting. I'm just so glad you finally got over last year. I was worried it'd crushed your spirit completely. And then it would've been my fault for overextending mys—"

"No!" I cut in, interrupting her; "It was _never_ your fault that we lost. In volleyball, it's up to the whole team whether you win or lose. Everybody contributes, and it's never only one person's fault!" I said to her firmly.

Michiko swallowed wordlessly, lowering her head and nodding without a word.

I frowned at her concernedly. I knew I wasn't the only one who'd been hurt by that loss. People would look at you and say, 'why are you getting so upset? It's only an afterschool club' but to Michiko, it always felt like more.

She'd had big aspirations for middle-school volleyball, and to be cut off before she reached her goal was like a kick to the face.

Michiko had always had a lot of pride when it came to her position as Ace...

"WHAT!? Why are your managers multiplying!? There's _three_ now! That's overkill, man!" Yamamoto-san's cry of dismay broke us out of whatever zone we were in and both Michiko and I whipped our heads round to face him.

He was standing with his legs parted, trembling, and pointing towards a startled Yachi-san.

Shimizu-senpai gave him an awkward look, and ushered Yachi-san ahead on inside.

We watched Tanaka-senpai approach Yamamoto-san and speak to him, unsure what to make of it.

"It's as if he forgets I'm here, haha," Michiko said, trying to shake off her down expression, and pushing up a smile, "There's a lot of other girls here too – the other teams' managers! I can introduce you!" she said, grabbing my hand and beginning to pull me along.

I turned to Daichi-senpai and the rest, who were standing with Nekoma's captain, Kuroo-san, and awkwardly waved to them as I was dragged away.

* * *

Within the next few minutes, we'd already joined up with the other managers. Apparently, despite only meeting up for one or two group training sessions, Michiko had already become a member of the group of team managers and was on friendly enough terms with them to call them by first name.

Shimizu-senpai and Yachi-san had also joined our group to chat.

Two of the girls, Suzumeda Kaori and Shirofuku Yukie were from Fukurodani Academy's team.

Suzumeda Kaori was a tall girl with her golden-brown hair tied back into a high ponytail. Her face was dotted with light freckles, and she seemed calm and cool, but friendly.

Shirofuku Yukie had auburn hair with a centre parting. She had a laid-back expression, but you could faintly spot a twinkle of mischief in her brown eyes.

Ubugawa's manager was called Miyanoshita Eri, and she was a short, cheerful girl with her black hair tied back into low hanging twin tails. She seemed demure but friendly.

And finally, Shinzen's own manager was called Otaki Mako. She had long brown hair tied into a elegant side-ponytail, her fringe swept into a side parting. She seemed gentle and kind.

We stood together in a group at the side of the gym as the boys slowly filtered in one-by-one. Michiko looked around curiously, and frowned when she couldn't find what she was looking for.

She turned to me with a concerned expression, "Hey, where're Hinata and that Setter, Kageyama? I can't see them anywhere, did something happen?!" she asked me.

I scratched my cheek, awkwardly, "Well, we had tests before the training camp, you see. Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun failed a few of their tests, so they have to retakes this morning." I explained.

Michiko looked disappointed, "Whaaat? Aw man, that's a shame! And I got Haiba-kun all hyped up about the kid, too!" she sighed out heavily.

I tilted my head, "Haiba-kun? That was..." I trailed off, trying to remember.

"Hey, Michiko-chan!" a boy's voice called out loudly, and I suddenly heard thundering footsteps running towards us. I turned to see who was approaching, thinking it could possibly be this 'Haiba-kun' and nearly yelped out loud when I saw him.

Running towards us, waving his hand enthusiastically, high up above him, was a scarily tall, skinny guy with short silver hair and cat-like green eyes. I flinched visibly and took a step behind Michiko, who laughed at me as the boy arrived in front of us.

"Relax, Moeka-chan, he may be super tall but he wouldn't hurt a fly. Right, Haiba-kun?" Michiko said to me, then turned to the tall teenager.

This Haiba-kun tilted his head at me curiously, "Eh? I wasn't gonna hurt her... this is your friend from Miyagi, right?" he asked.

"That's right. Moeka-chan, come on, get out from behind me already," Michiko laughed, pulling me into view, "Moeka-chan, this is my classmate, Haiba Lev. He's also—" Lev cut her off.

"I'm also the team's Ace! Nice to meet you, Moeka-chan!" Haiba-kun said with a big grin, dipping his head in a bow yet still towering over the smaller me.

"O-Oh, hi, Haiba-kun. It's nice to meet you," I said with a nervous smile, dipping my head in approval.

It was then that someone threw their water bottle at Haiba-kun's head and he hunched over, crying out and covering the back of his head.

"Yowch, that hurt!" he cried, as Yamamoto-san started yelling at him.

"Who're you calling this team's Ace, you newbie wannabe!?" Yamamoto-san yelled, seeming offended.

"Why did you throw your bottle at me, Yamamoto-senpai...?!" Haiba-kun whined, equally offended.

"You know why! You'll never be the Ace as long as _I'm_ here!" Yamamoto-san said, only to get hit on the arm by Yaku-san.

"Stop yelling, idiot!" he told the second-year, and he quieted down. Yaku-san turned to Haiba-kun, "And you better not be slacking off, Lev! You still need to do your warm-ups, so get over here!" he said.

"Coming, Yaku-san!" Haiba-kun nodded to his senpai, and turned back to us, "Hey is that shorty you were talking about here, Michiko-chan?" Haiba-kun asked my friend.

Michiko shook her head, "Apparently he's not coming, sorry, Haiba-kun..." she said and Haiba-kun's body seemed to crumple over with disappointment.

"Aww... I wanted to block him...!" he sighed sadly.

"Ah, Micchan, that's not the case. I didn't get to finish, before Haiba-kun came over. Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun _are_ coming today, but only after they've taken their retake tests! Hopefully they'll get here in time to play at least one or two games!" I explained.

Michiko perked up a little, while Haiba-kun perked up a lot.

"Oh! Well, you heard her, Haiba-kun." Michiko said to him and he nodded, happy to hear the news.

"Oi, Lev!" we heard Yaku-san calling Haiba-kun again, and the silver-haired giant bid us farewell for now, bounding off to avoid the third-year Libero's wrath.

"So that was the half that you mentioned, then..." I said, a little shakily.

"Yup! He's like a big puppy, which is strange in a team full of cats, right?" Michiko said with a grin, and looked at me, "Are you okay?" she asked me.

I nodded, "I was just surprised. He's so tall..." I said, my heart rate finally calming down.

"Right? Must be the Russian blood in him~ I was surprised too, when I first met the guy." Shirofuku-san said with a nod.

"Hey, what's with these two guys you were talking about? Are they really so good that Haiba-kun was so hyped to block them?" asked Miyanoshita-san.

"Ah, Hinata and Kageyama? Well I saw them during the practice match we had with Karasuno a while back, and they were pretty impressive!" Michiko nodded.

"Hey, Micchan, what did you even tell him? We made a deal not to leak info on each others' team to our own team." I asked her, pouting.

"I didn't tell them anything specific! Just that Kageyama was considered a genius in Setting and that Hinata's spikes were really tough to stop if you weren't on the ball. That's okay, right?" Michiko said with raised eyebrows.

"You didn't tell him _why_ they're tough to stop, right?" I asked her.

"And spoil the surprise? Like I'd ever do that. That's the best part of it!" Michiko shook her head, grinning; "How could I deny you the chance to brag about your boyfriend yourself?" she said with a teasing grin, which I did _not_ appreciate.

My face exploded into a deep red as I felt all the girls' eyes on me.

"Ehh? Hinata-kun's your boyfriend, Mogami-san?! I had no idea, h-he never said...!" Yachi-san cried, and I swear I saw some of the guys from other teams looking over at us.

Blushing horribly, I shook my head frantically, "That's cause he's _not_ , Yachi-san! Micchan is just teasing me...! S-Shimizu-senpai, are you laughing...?!" I gasped, after hearing the soft, barely audible chuckles of my senpai.

Covering her mouth, she smiled at me apologetically, "I'm sorry. It's just that your reaction was..." she paused to think of a response.

"Super adorable?" Michiko offered with a grin, and Shimizu-senpai nodded in agreement, smiling at me.

I covered my face, "W-Would you guys stop? He doesn't even know, anyways, and I'm not ready to tell him yet...!" I said.

"Oh, so you're finally admitting that you like him?" Michiko smiled at me. Not that I could see her right now beyond my hands, but I knew she had to be.

Wordlessly, I nodded, and then spoke up as I came out from behind my hand, "Don't you dare tell him, Micchan..." I said to her.

"He's not even here to tell!" she said with a laugh.

"I meant when he _is_ here...!" I whined, pouting at her.

"Haha, fine~" she said, her teasing grin still not leaving her face.

Suzumeda-san sighed out, "Hey stop teasing her so relentlessly. I'll admit she's being really cute right now, but it's not like you're any better about our Akaa—" she began, but Michiko quickly covered her mouth and she grunted, shocked.

I raised my eyebrows at this, looking to Michiko's face. Her cheeks were actually glowing with her blush, or at least it seemed like it.

I tilted my head, "Akaa-who?" I asked, curious.

"It's nothing!" Michiko said, laughing nervously.

Shirofuku-san grinned impishly, and calmly stepped out of range of Michiko before speaking up, "Akaashi Keiji. He's the starting Setter, and a second-year at Fukurodani. She's only met him like three or four times so far, and she never shuts up about him in our text messages." She explained, and Michiko looked like she'd suffered a huge betrayal of some sort.

"Yukie-chaaaan...!" Michiko cried out at her, dismayed. Her face was pretty red.

I couldn't help but smile. What's this~?

"Which one is Akaashi-san?" I asked Shirofuku-san, and she was only too happy to point him out for me.

She directed my attention to a tall-ish boy, with short, curly black hair and sharp, cool looking black eyes. He was wearing Fukurodani's jersey jacket of white, yellow and black, and was talking to a few team-mates.

He seemed cool, mysterious, and stoic. Actually, he looked a lot like one character from the 3DS game Michiko and I liked, Fire Emblem Awakening. Specifically, the character Michiko had chosen to marry in-game. I could see why she'd be into him, at least aesthetically.

So it was believable.

"Micchan, it's okay! I'm not going to tease you about it... too much. But why didn't you say anything about him in our calls?" I asked her.

Michiko only grinned nervously, rubbing the back of her head. She was clearly embarrassed despite my reassurances.

"I-I guess I just didn't know how to bring it up. I didn't want to distract from hearing about how your love life was going, and all! It's more interesting than mine, since Akaashi-kun and I have barely spoken... Heheh..." she said.

She sighed, and smiled worriedly, "And the one time I did, I think I kinda scared him off by being too eager. It's no biggie!" she said. I frowned at that. Michiko wasn't the type to just give up because of a setback. Not like me...

"You didn't scare him away! Keiji's just like that, you know?" Shirofuku-san said to her encouragingly, and laughed, "I mean, If he deals with _Koutarou_ every day, someone like you aren't gonna bother him, Michiko-chan!" she said, and Suzumeda-san laughed.

"You've got that right! If you can put up with that drama king and not go crazy, you can put up with anyone!" she said, grinning wryly.

"I don't want him to just _put up with_ me...!" Michiko pouted, and the girls all just laughed.

I smiled a little, and tapped her shoulder, "I-If you really like him, I'll support you too. Try to talk to him again, maybe." I said to her.

She glanced at me, and a small smile grew on her face, her cheeks pink.

"Same to you, Moeka-chan. I hope you get the courage up to tell Hinata," she said.

I blushed deeply again, "T-That's still probably a long way off," I said, waving my arms in denial, and she only grinned at me.

"Hey, we're gonna start up the first games! Ubugawa, you're going against Karasuno! Shinzen, your against Fukurodani. Whoever wins their match first will go against Nekoma!" yelled one of the other teams' coaches and the conversation between us girls pretty much ended there as we all went to our respective teams to assist.

* * *

A few hours later, the difference in skill between Karasuno and the four teams here was apparent. Karasuno had as of yet failed to win any matches and as a result, had to perform the penalty drills several times.

Said penalty drills were performing flying fall receives for one lap around the court. I winced, feeling sorry for the boys' chests, which must be stinging from repetitive flying fall receives.

Haiba-kun had come over to Michiko and I during a match between our two teams. He was asking after Hinata and Kageyama-kun again, but we had no news for him, not being any wiser than he was.

Not getting what he wanted to hear, the tall teen slumped over and despondently walked away.

But Karasuno were taking their penalties like champs, and were in the middle of another match at the moment, against Fukurodani.

This had given me a chance to see the guy Michiko was crushing on in action, and I had to say I was impressed, and a little jealous. It seemed like no matter where I went, I always found a Setter that was way more impressive in me.

I know that was probably partly my poor self-confidence talking, but it was mostly because this Akaashi Keiji was a smart player.

It was like Kozume-san all over again, but not quite. This guy had a lot of tricks up his sleeve and wasn't easily ruffled if Karasuno scored a point.

He just calmly carried on. He also seemed to be his team's Ace's carer, often asking him how he was feeling, or scolding him if he got too overeager and ended up spiking the ball out of bounds. It won us one or two points, so of course he was annoyed. But we were just glad for those times.

Eve with that boost, Karasuno was still lagging behind with 16 points, and Fukurodani was quickly closing in on Match Point.

I winced as Tanaka-senpai just barely missed being able to receive the ball after the black-and-white haired Ace powered one through Tsukishima-san's admittedly half-assed block, and hit the floor of the court.

One more point and it'd be another lap of flying fall receives for Karasuno...

Where on earth were Hinata, Kageyama-kun and Tanaka-senpai's sister?!

A minute or two later, I hissed in a breath as the ball bounced back off of Fukurodani's blocker from Asahi-senpai's spike, and the opposing team got their 25th point, winning them their second set in a row and therefore, the match as well.

I couldn't stew in my second-hand frustration for long, as the doors to the gym burst open behind Yachi-san, Shimizu-senpai and I.

Most people, including the three of us turned around to see who had arrived and I let out a relieved sigh, a smile returning to my face.

It was Hinata and Kageyama-kun.

They stood at the doorway, holding the doors open, while huffing to catch up on their breath. Did they sprint from the car to here? Probably.

After them, a girl with a died blond, full fringed bob haircut appeared in the doorway, dressed in a black tank top and red jeans. With sharp eyes and a confident smirk of a grin, she thrust her thumb at Hinata and Kageyama-kun.

"So did I get them here in time?" she asked cooly.

"Good to see they're still in one piece." Tanaka-senpai said with a shaky grin, and I looked at him questioningly. I didn't get an answer to my unasked question, though.

Shaking it off, I smiled and approached the boys, and the older girl I assumed was Tanaka-senpai's older college-student sister.

"There's one match left for Karasuno so you guys just barely made it in time." I told the boys and they looked relieved and pleased to hear that.

I wondered if, now that the 'Freak Quick Duo' were here, the final practice match of the day would finally go our way.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: And so, I finally got to introduce Lev! You don't wanna know how many times I've already accidentally typed Levi instead. And it's probably going to keep happening, too, haha. x'D**

 **And yep, Michiko has a crush on Akaashi Keiji. Let's be honest, don't we all, though? I know _I_ do at least. :3**

 **Thank you so much for all your support so far, I can't believe I've got over 200 people following this story! Hello, out there! I hope you're all enjoying the story. : )**


	37. 37 Hunger to Evolve

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ , and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 37 – Hunger for Growth.**

Since Hinata and Kageyama-kun had arrived when they did, they were allowed to compete in Karasuno's final set of the day, thankfully. They were up against Shinzen, the host school's team and it had been going very well.

In fact, they were doing so well that they were just one point away from gaining Set Point.

"Eikichi! Stop that Number 10!" one of Shinzen's players called out to his team-mate but it was no use.

As Shinzen's Middle Blocker jumped to stop Hinata and Kageyama-kun's freak quick attack, Hinata spiked, sending the ball speeding over Shinzen's block and crashing to the floor of the court to quickly for them to receive it.

"Dammit! What the hell's that quick strike!?" one of Shinzen's benched players, who was manning the score board complained, as the Set came to an end in Karasuno's favour.

I could see why they were upset. Flying fall receive drills weren't exactly a fun activity, but it was the one agreed on.

I sighed, and smiled, going to pick up some of the towels and bottles to bring to the boys' and approached Hinata, Kageyama-kun and Tanaka-senpai who was standing nearby, complaining to the two first years about something.

"-posing like that for... Don't try to look cool, tardy failing-grade duo..." I caught the end of his complaint, as Hinata and Kageyama-kun froze up at the accusation.

I chuckled quietly, and caught Tanaka-senpai's attention, giving him his water bottle and towel.

"Here you go, senpai. Good work, again!" I said to him and he perked up immediately.

"Thanks...!" he said, taking the water bottle and towel happily.

I turned to Hinata, who seemed to be thinking to himself. He seemed a little troubled, and that in turn troubled me. I approached his side and tilted my head, looking to him from the side.

"Hinata-kun, are you okay?" I asked him and he jumped.

Flushing, he rubbed his head, "Y-Yeah! I'm fine!" he said, and lowered his head, frowning, "It's just... I've got some stuff on my mind." He added.

"Oh? Is it something I can help with? You know... I've always got an open ear, for you... or something like that." I said, smiling to him.

A smile appeared on his face, albeit small, "I know... But I'll figure it out on my own. Thanks—" Hinata was cut off when someone else's call distracted him.

"Yaku-san! Nice receive!"

The call directed his, and my attention over to Nekoma and Ubugawa's match which was still going on. He looked towards the benched players, and spotted someone.

"Eh? Inuouka's on the bench?" Hinata questioned, surprised.

"Haiba!" Inuoka was calling out, cheering for Haiba-kun who was taking part in this match in his stead, it seemed.

We continued observing the match from afar, and watched as Haiba-kun jumped to spike, his arm moving like a whip and cracking against the volleyball. It broke through Ubugawa's guard and Nekoma scored the point.

"Who's that?" Hinata asked, not recognizing the new player.

I nodded, volunteering myself as informer; "That's Haiba Lev-kun, one of their first-year middle blockers. Like you, Hinata-kun." I told him.

"Like me? He's huge!" Hinata gasped.

"Well, he's half-Russian you see. The other girls and I theorized that it's his European blood that gives him his height." I said with a small laugh.

"R-Russian...!" Hinata parroted, shocked, and I nodded.

Hinata only looked shocked and maybe a little afraid for a few moments, before his expression morphed into a serious one. That one he gets when there's an opponent he wants to face against, and test himself against.

A small smile slipped onto my face, as the coaches called out for us to call it a night and tidy things away.

* * *

The next day, something a little strange happened. It was just as people were getting ready to start up their first practice match of the day. Karasuno were going to be facing Ubugawa first today.

I was working with Yachi-san and Shimizu-senpai to get a few things ready when Shimizu-senpai looked up, then down to me.

"Mogami-chan, it looks like you're needed." She said to me and I looked up, and then followed her eyes to the space behind me.

Hinata was standing there, rigid with his arms glued to his sides. He was barely able to hold eye contact with me, his own brown eyes darting around the gym anxiously.

"Hinata-kun? Did you need me for something?" I asked him, curious.

He jumped, and his cheeks flushed red, "A-Ah... Um, actually there was something I wanted to talk to you about. Something important...!" he said to me.

I 'ah'd, realising. Maybe this was the thing that was bothering Hinata yesterday after the Set against Shinzen...?

I nodded, eager to help him sort through his thoughts, "Of course. What is it?" I asked, stepping towards him.

For some reason, he stepped backwards in return, looking nervous. He still couldn't hold eye contact.

"N-Not right now...! If it's okay, can we talk after the matches are done? It's just, right now I want to focus on volleyball, but it'll make me feel better if I can talk to you later on." He said and I blinked.

I nodded slowly, feeling a little confused. First he approaches me, and then he backs away. I wondered what exactly he wanted to talk to me about...

"Okay... If that's how you feel, then I accept. We'll talk later." I agreed, and gave him an encouraging smile, "Whatever it is, don't let it distract you from having fun today. Do your best!" I said.

His smile was wobbly, but undeniably pleased and relieved. He nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Thanks!" he said, and bowed his head quickly, before rushing off to join warm ups.

"I wonder what Hinata-kun wanted to talk to you about... He seemed nervous," Yachi-san commented as the orange-haired boy sped away.

I nodded, "Yeah he did. He said he had things on his mind yesterday, though... I hope that I'll be able to help him." I replied.

Yachi-san spoke up, "I-I'm sure whatever it is, you can help him. Hinata-kun trusts you, after all!" she encouraged. I blushed, looking down at her.

"E-Eh? He trusts me..." I gasped, surprised.

Shimizu-senpai chuckled quietly, "You didn't realise?" she asked, and stood up, "Everyone's noticed that he holds your opinion very highly. I'm sure you'll be able to help him with whatever it is." She added, sure.

I lowered my gaze, my cheeks still pink, and nodded, "I hope I can help him..." I agreed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the match between Karasuno High School and Ubugawa Academy had already started up, the score resting at 5 – 5, a tie, when Ubugawa called their first time out of the day.

I glanced over towards Nekoma High School and Fukurodani Academy's practice match in the next court over, as Yamamoto-san called out, "Left, Left! Kenma, cover it!" to the team Setter.

As he did, Haiba-kun raced into position, enthusiastically calling out, "Pass it here!" to the quiet boy, who flinched ever so slightly, before sending it over to him as asked.

And just like yesterday, with a whip-like crack Haiba-kun smashed past Ubugawa's defenses and scored a point.

Haiba-kun then turned to Kozume-san, "Sorry I spoke so casually... I got caught up in the moment." He apologised.

"I already said I don't care about things like that. More importantly, it's problematic if you call out for a broad like that all of a sudden..." Kozume-san said to him calmly.

"OH! SO IT'S CALLED A BROAD?! COOL!" Haiba-kun said happily and I sweat-dropped a little, smiling.

"Eh? That broad was off the cuff?" I heard Kageyama-kun say, and glanced to Hinata and Kageyama-kun who were observing the match during time-out.

"BUT ANYWAY...!" Haiba-kun continued, and smirked, "I pulled it off, didn't I?" he lowered his volume and spoke confidently.

"A Centre Ace..." I heard Hinata mumble in wonder, and I saw some sort of longing in his eyes.

* * *

Later on in the morning, teams rotated around and it came to be that Karasuno was facing off against our rivals, Nekoma High School, and by proxy, Hinata would be facing off against the new Middle Blocker, Haiba-kun.

Michiko joined me at my side, manning the scoreboard with me as the match got started up.

"Apparently, Haiba-kun and Hinata talked last night." Michiko informed me and I looked at her in surprise.

"Really?" I asked her, and she nodded.

"Yeah and it sounds like they challenged each other to some sort of battle. On the volleyball court, that is. So this aughta be interesting!" she said with a smile.

I hummed. What kind of challenge could it be, between two Middle Blockers? Who blocks the most balls?

I'd better pay attention to the match, then.

The match started up, and after a few minutes, Karasuno was in the lead with a score of 1 – 2, but I knew better than to assume Nekoma wouldn't change it around during the Set. An early lead isn't a victory.

The ball flew over to Karasuno's side and Kageyama-kun called out to Daichi-senpai, "Sawamura-san!" he called, and Daichi-senpai got into position and cleanly received the ball, sending it back into play.

Hinata ran in, ready to attack, and Kageyama-kun in turn sent the ball to him. But Haiba-kun had his eyes on him, it seemed, and he jumped into the way of the ball's path and held his arms up to block.

Haiba-kun managed to solidly shut out Hinata's spike, sending it hurtling to the ground on Karasuno's side, tying up the points.

"ALRIIIIIIIIIIGHT!" Haiba-kun cheered with his team-mates, pleased at the successful block and was congratulated.

Nearby, Takeda-sensei and Ukai-san were commenting on the play.

"H... He blocked it... That quick strike was... stopped so early in the game..." Takeda-sensei said, surprised.

"That's 'cause Nekoma's gotten even better at coping with that Quick since our last practice match. Plus, the newbie player's height and reflexes are incredible." Ukai-san commented.

I noticed that Haiba-kun and Hinata's eyes locked after the play, and with a smirk, the half-Russian gave a 'bring it on' gesture, clearly confident that he could continue to shut Hinata out.

I pouted, "He's way too confident..." I complained.

Michiko blinked, and glanced to Haiba-kun, and understanding, laughed, "You're not wrong there. It gets on Yamamoto-senpai and Yaku-senpai's last nerve, especially. But having confidence is a good thing, right?" she replied.

"Being _too_ confident isn't a good thing." I said, still pouting.

Michiko laughed, patting my back, "There, there~" she 'soothed', unhelpful.

The game started up again after Fukunaga-san served, and the ball quickly went in Tanaka-senpai's direction. He received it and the ball was in play for our side.

I watched, wondering what they would do, since Haiba-kun managed to block the freak quick.

Kageyama-kun looked like he was sending it to Hinata again, at first glance. And it looked like it was a normal quick instead of their super-fast ones.

Unfortunately, Haiba-kun seemed to have assumed that it was going to Hinata again, and didn't see Asahi-senpai also going in.

Asahi-senpai spiked the ball hard, sending it bursting through Haiba-kun's block and I cheered, pleased. Looks like they weren't expecting the decoy route even though that's technically one of Hinata and Kageyama-kun's specialties.

"O-One touch!" Haiba-kun yelled back to his team-mates, and Yaku-san received it, sending up the Free Ball.

I tsked quietly to myself and Michiko chuckled from my side.

The ball was quickly sent through Kozume-san and to Haiba-kun again, and he managed to get a spike through, scoring a point.

I pouted, annoyed that we'd lost the point when I was so sure Asahi-senpai got it. But then, I knew it was never going to be easy to beat Nekoma. They were a skilled team.

Ukai-san called a time-out and called everyone over. I nodded to Michiko, and then hurried over to join them.

"Keep your cool. They've been on high alert for that quick strike since the beginning, so it's understandable. For now, Azumane and Tanaka on the left as the pivot of the attack against Nekoma." Ukai-san said, and the boys nodded.

"Got it." Kageyama-kun nodded.

"Ossu!" Asahi-senpai nodded.

"Hell yeah!" Tanaka-senpai said.

I glanced around at the others, and saw Suga-senpai looking down at Hinata with a concerned expression. So I moved my attention to Hinata solely. His fists were clenched, and his head was hung. After a moment, he moved a hand to grip at his jersey.

I furrowed my brows, and went over to his side. Suga-senpai saw this, smiled, and stepped aside.

I patted Hinata's shoulder and when he didn't move, I spoke; "Hinata-kun," I called his name, and he looked up, surprised; "Don't let this setback stop you. I know you can get past Haiba-kun if you try your best. You could try thinking outside of the box. I'm sure you'll find a way that works for you." I advised him.

He blinked, cheeks pink, and nodded, "Ossu..." he said, and grinned, "I'll definitely win against that guy." He said, and I smiled.

Looks like he wasn't as down as I thought he was.

"Okay. I'll be watching." I nodded.

And so, after a few more words from the Coach, the match continued.

The match was going well, for a few moments, but as soon it was Karasuno's chance to spike, I could see right away that something was going to go wrong. Kageyama-kun had sent the ball to Asahi-senpai, who was already jumping to reach it, but Hinata was _also_ going in for the ball!

I yelped, and flinched, as they violently crashed into each other and Hinata tumbled to the ground; or rather, as _Hinata_ crashed into Asahi-senpai. Was he not looking around him?

"Hinata-kun!" I yelped out, unable to hold it back. That looked like a painful landing!

"A-Are you o-o-okay!?" Asahi-senpai cried, shocked at what had just happened.

"I'm- I'm SORRY!" Hinata squealed, getting up, looking just as shocked; he got into the dogeza position and began bowing deeply, "I wasn't looking where I was going! Sorry! Did you get hurt!?" he cried.

"I-I'm just fine...!" Asahi-senpai said, as Kageyama-kun yelled 'dumbass' at Hinata.

"Hinata, are you alright?" I heard Daichi-senpai call over.

Tanaka-senpai laughed a little, "Come on, be more careful~" he said.

"Yeah, between you and Asahi, you're the one who's gonna get knocked out, ya know?" Nishinoya-senpai added.

"I'm sorry!" Hinata apologised again.

As Ukai-san let loose on Hinata, yelling at him for not paying attention, I sighed out, exasperatedly, "What am I gonna do with him...?" I moaned, covering my face, and Michiko laughed.

"Hey, if you really like him, you're stuck with that, you know? Are you really sure?" she asked me. I sighed again, and nodded, uncovering my eyes to watch the court again.

Luckily, Hinata wasn't hurt.

He was stepping towards Kageyama-kun, like he had something to say.

"Hey, Kageyama." He said to the Setter, who looked to him.

"Hm?" he asked.

"About the freak quick... I'm going to stop closing my eyes." Hinata said and I widened my eyes.

"Huh? What did Hinata say?" Michiko asked, having not quite heard it as I had. I opted to not respond, too caught up in what was unfolding.

"Hah? Come again?" Kageyama-kun sneered, not amused by the idea.

Hinata flinched, and continued, "It's no good the way things are now. I can't just close my eyes and hope that you'll send the ball to my hand anymore." He explained his reasoning, and I guess I could see his point.

That way, there was no way for him to improve and broaden his range of spikes.

Kageyama-kun sighed, and spoke, "We do it this way because you couldn't do it on your own, remember? Remember when we tried the normal quick strike?" he asked Hinata, and turned away, "I don't know what's on your mind, but I'll listen to it later. However, if you're saying that you'll stop closing your eyes from now, I have to tell you – I have no intention of tossing to someone who'll miss." He said seriously, walking away to his position.

Hinata watched him go, with a stubborn looking frown.

I furrowed my eyebrows concernedly, wondering what Hinata would do.

Could _this_ be the thing that was on Hinata's mind that he wanted to talk about? Maybe he was so nervous about it and that's why he looked so flustered? ...For some reason, I couldn't be certain on that theory.

Because...

He looked like a nervous school kid about to confess he liked a girl... was I hoping too much for that result, because of my own feelings?

I don't know... liking someone is too confusing.

* * *

The match carried on, and it was clear that the exchange between Hinata and Kageyama-kun had caused some sort of rift. Yachi-san and Shimizu-senpai had both noticed it too.

"I might be imagining it, but... D-Don't things seem strained between Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun, now?" Yachi-san asked, and Shimizu-senpai and I both nodded.

"Yeah." Shimizu-senpai agreed, "But it's not just between Hinata and Kageyama. Since the collision with Azumane, everyone's tensions have been running high." She added.

Michiko decided to join in, "Hinata's probably given those guys something to think about, huh. I mean, that guy's competitive spirit and hunger for growth is something else." She said and Yachi-san and Shimizu-senpai looked over to her.

"E-Eh? Nekoma's manager knows Hinata?" Yachi-san asked, surprised. Ah. That's right, she didn't know, yet...

I nodded to Michiko while turning to Yachi-san, "Micchan, Hinata-kun and I all went to Yukigaoka Middle School together, you see. Back when Hinata-kun used to practice in the same gym as the girls' volleyball team, which we were on." I explained.

"Eh?" Yachi-san blinked, surprised.

"Yeah, since there was no official boys' team at first, he sweet-talked Coach Tezuka into letting him use a corner of the gym. That's when Moeka-chan here decided to approach him and help him out with his practice. They've been tied at the hip ever since." Michiko told her.

I blushed, "That's an exaggeration. Although we've been close since." I admitted.

Shimizu-senpai gave a gentle smile, "Ah, then I suppose it was only a matter of time," she said cryptically and I flustered, kind of getting the words she left unsaid.

They didn't need to be said. It was obvious, and I knew this now. I wondered if it was obvious enough for Hinata to see...

As if reading my mind, Michiko harshly slapped my back, "Well, Hinata's as dense as you are, so I think you're safe until you work up the nerves to tell him!" she said cheerily as I rubbed my back.

The match was over relatively quickly, and Nekoma was victorious yet again. And yet again, Karasuno had to do the penalty lap of flying fall receives.

We spent time between matches scoping out the other teams that were still in the middle of their matches. By observing, I learnt that Ubugawa specialized in serves, Shinzen focused on combination attacks to confuse blockers, and that Fukurodani, the team with Michiko's crush in it, not only had an impressive Setter, but also a very strong Ace. His silver and black hair colour combination was an interesting look, but it definitely suited him.

But in getting caught up in watching the other matches, I hadn't noticed when Hinata and Kageyama-kun slipped away somewhere. Remembering the tension between them earlier, I started feeling worried.

Yamaguchi-san must've noticed how worried I was, and he approached me.

"Hey, Mogami-san, are you okay?" he asked me, and I looked over to him.

"Ah, yes! Only... Have you seen Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun anywhere?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah. I was looking for them too," Ukai-san said, stepping off from leaning against the wall nearby.

"Oh. They went outside a little while ago..." Yamaguchi-san informed us.

* * *

I followed Ukai-san to go outside and as we approached the opened gym doors, we heard the tail-end of the conversation.

"There is _no need_ for you to think on your own in that Quick attack." We heard Kageyama-kun say, supposedly to Hinata if the subject had anything to do with it. We were then surprised to find him walk in through the door we were by.

He looked to us, caught off guard at seeing us there, before nodding out of politeness and carrying on. Ukai-san and I glanced to each other, wondering what that was, before we heard Suga-senpai speaking.

"Sorry, Hinata. Now that I've... heard Kageyama's viewpoint, I think he's right this time. That Quick attack is amazing enough already. I think it would be best to refine other forms of attack around it, instead." senpai said and I frowned.

But that's just stifling Hinata's own development...! It's forcing him to rely completely on Kageyama-kun, without any of his own individuality. And that way, Hinata would be essentially just following orders from other people instead of thinking for himself...!

A whistle sounded behind us, signaling the end of Ubugawa and Shinzen's match, and Ukai-san stepped forward ahead of us, agreeing with Suga-senpai.

"Even if you say 'I want to fight on my own', the Freak Quick is a split-second battle. Frankly, I think it'd be too much for you to do something in that small a window of time." He gave his opinion.

I pouted, annoyed that they were shutting Hinata down. It didn't matter that they had a point, at least not to me.

"But... When I'm in good form, I can see everything as if it's in slow motion. Like what Tanaka-senpai described once..." Hinata said.

"Well... there are times you can block more clearly than normal," Ukai-san said, uncertain.

"During the final point in the practice match with Seijoh, I could see the Gra—Oikawa-san's face. I could see his eyes. And during the 3-on-3 match, I could see the other side of the court. I could see where Tsukishima was moving to, and Captain too." Hinata explained.

"Y-You're just saying 'what it seemed like', aren't y—" Ukai-san cut himself off, and I stepped outside to see. Hinata's eyes, they were clear, and focused. He was totally serious about what he was saying, as farfetched as it seemed.

"Hey!" Daichi-senpai popped up behind me, scaring both Ukai-san and I; "Our match is starting!" he added.

"C-Coming!" Ukai-san said, heading back inside.

As Hinata came up towards the entrance, I tugged his sleeve and he looked at me, pausing.

I gave him a smile, "For what it's worth, Hinata-kun, I believe you could see it." I told him.

He stared for a moment, before relaxing and smiling, "Thanks." He said, and headed back inside, ahead of me. I followed behind.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Sorry for the delay! The part of UK I'm living in is currently having a bit of a heatwave, and I'm not used to these temperatures since it's usually quite cool, wet, miserable in England, haha. To make a long story short, I've been melting. xD**

 **Anyways, here it is. Y'all know what's coming next if you've seen Season 2...! :O**

 **Also, I'm gonna do a special for Chapter 40. It may be a two-parter, haven't decided, but I'm going to be writing scenes in other characters' POVs. I'm planning on Hinata, and stuff from Seijoh's side, but if you guys want to see ANY other people's POVs, let me know in the reviews!**


	38. 38 A Step in Both Directions

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 38 – A Step in Both Directions.**

It seemed that my words of encouragement, though they seemed to help Hinata, were overlapped by the words Ukai-san said upon returning to the gym.

"Narita, switch with Hinata." He said, surprising Hinata, Narita and I.

The shaved head second year blinked, caught off guard, and nodded, "Huh? Er, alright!" he hesitantly replied and I could only watch as Ukai-san turned to Hinata and spoke.

"I think the 'Freak Quick' you do with Kageyama is incredible enough as-is. But if, as you said, that move still has room to evolve... then I think I'd like to see how far it can go." He said, and sighed, "I've got absolutely no idea how to do that, though! So for now, don't ditch the sensation of 'being enabled to hit the ball' that you've been experiencing all this time. Also, you'll be staying out of matches for the rest of the day." He finished, and Hinata flinched.

I winced. Ouch. That's got to hurt.

' _N-Not right now...! If it's okay, can we talk after the matches are done? ...it'll make me feel better if I can talk to you later on!_ '

I widened my eyes as Hinata's words from earlier returned to my mind, and I smiled. Maybe this could distract him from not being able to play in todays' matches...?

I stepped towards Hinata, and from behind, I patted his shoulder.

Hinata turned to face me, with a curious expression.

"You said earlier that you wanted to talk after your matches for the day are done. I guess that's technically right now, huh? So... u m, do you wanna go somewhere to talk...?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little shy about saying it. My cheeks were getting a little warmer.

Hinata's cheeks became flushed as well, and he stared at me a moment, as if processing it.

And after the moment was up, he swallowed audibly, blushing deeper, and nodded stiffly. I furrowed my eyebrows, concerned, and touched his sleeve lightly.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, and he frantically nodded his head.

He then turned about face, to face the gym doors again, and almost mechanically walked himself outside, his movements jerky. Still a little concerned by his weird behavior, I opted to quietly follow him outside, to where he'd sat himself down on a grassy hill outside the gym, his hands on his kneecaps.

I quickly took a seat down next to him and looked to him over my shoulder curiously. I put on an encouraging smile; one I hoped would put him more at ease.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked him, and he remained silent, looking down at his hands atop his knees. I tilted my head at his silence, and awaited his answer.

After what felt like an hour but was probably only a few minutes, he finally spoke up.

"In a few months it'll have been two years since you first approached me in the girls' team gym back at Yukigaoka..." he began, and I widened my eyes.

That's true...! It _had_ already been nearly two years... We'd introduced ourselves to each other around October in our second year of middle school, and now here we are a few months into our first year as high school students!

I nodded, "That's right! It's funny how time flies, right?" I agreed.

Hinata nodded, "Um, so... we're pretty close by now. We've managed to stick together so far and I don't think that'll change until at least our 3rd year." He added.

I hummed, "It'd be nice if it could go on longer than that... but you're right. It's likely that we'd go to different universities, if we end up going at all." I said.

Hinata nodded, "Yeah, but... th-that's not why I'm bringing it up. Er..." he trailed off and I looked at him curiously.

"Then what is it?" I asked. His cheeks were awfully red right now. Was it something embarrassing?

My heart skipped a beat, before I inwardly willed it to calm down. I couldn't jump right to _that_ conclusion.

"Well, it's kinda... well, close friends, they... um, they usually c-call each other by their f-f-first names, right...?! AH! T-That is...!" Hinata suddenly raised his voice, yelping, and cried out, covering his flushed face, groaning.

I found myself swiftly turning redder, but a gnawing disappointment gripped my chest. I tried to will that away as well, chastising myself and telling myself I'd already told myself not to expect that.

But at the same time, there was a feeling of fond mirth that tickled my chest in the aftermath of the disappointment, once Hinata's words settled in.

It was kind of adorable really... I let myself smile at how cute Hinata was being right now.

Said red head whined through his hands, "S- _Say_ something...!" he added.

I chuckled, very faintly, and nodded, "You want me to call you by your first name...?" I asked for clarification, my cheeks still pinked.

Hinata lifted his face from his palms and peeked at me through his orange locks, and nodded.

I nodded, and turned to him properly. I felt a bit of nervousness tingling as I prepared myself to say it; "Okay, then _Shoyo-kun_." I said to him...

...and Hinata's face promptly exploded into a deep shade of red in reaction, and as if my words had been a blow from a weapon, he stumbled back a little, speechless. He clutched at the fabric of his shirt over his chest, looking stunned.

He then looked away as if thinking to himself.

"W-Was that okay...?" I asked him.

He hastily nodded, his lips turning into a small, wobbly smile as his blush faded a little, "I like it...!" he said, and after a few moments, he melted into a bashful, hesitant state, rubbing the back of his head anxiously, "S-So... could I call you by your first name too...?" he asked and I blushed.

Slowly, I nodded my head in consent, eagerly anticipating it.

He kept his eyes on me, his gaze steady, as if going over it in his head as practice, and licked his lips briefly.

"Mo... Moeka-san." He breathed out.

Now it was my face's turn to explode into colour, at the sound of Hinata's voice finally saying my name.

"U-Uhm... yes...?" I shyly asked.

He floundered a moment, "N-No, I was just trying it out loud...! Ahaha...!" he said, leaning away a little and rubbing his head again. I muffled a little laugh at his behavior, hiding it behind my hand, and he nervously laughed in return.

Of all the things Hinata had to say, I'd been hoping but not banking on something romantic, and though it wasn't exactly what I had fantasized about, this was enough. This made my heart swell with happiness.

It really felt like our relationship was slowly developing, and unfurling like a flower in bloom.

* * *

The rest of the day went over in a happy blur. I waltzed through it with a skip in my step and it was clear that something had happened to the others, I'm sure. The girls, sans Shimizu-senpai and Yachi-san, were the only ones to corner me about it though.

"Okay, Moeka-chan, it's time to fess up! You're acting like a fairytale princess whose found her true love and wants to sing it to the world." Michiko said to me, and I smiled nervously back at her.

"Yeah like you whenever Keiji-kun actually speaks to you." Shirofuku-san said with a grin to my friend.

Michiko blushed, glaring lightly at her, "Hey we're questioning Moeka-chan, not me!" she complained. Shirofuku-san just shrugged her shoulders.

"So," Miyanoshita-san said with an excited smile, "What happened? A few of us saw you go outside with Karasuno's 10 and ever since you came back in you've been in a noticeably good mood!" she said.

"Did he confess or something?" asked Suzumeda-san, off-handedly, but the bluntness of the question made me blush furiously.

Michiko gawked, wide-eyed, and then she looked incredibly excited, "Oh my god, no way! Did he _really_!?" she asked, sounding thrilled.

"Oh my..." Otaki-san put her hand over her mouth, though she was smiling.

I gasped, and waved my hands in denial, flustered.

"NO, no, no, no...!" I cried, "If that'd happened, I... I don't know how I would've reacted...! Anyway, _no_!" I insisted.

Michiko pouted, "Way to reel me in only to let me go... Aww, man...!" she said, puffing her cheeks up childishly.

"Then what _did_ happen? Obviously, it was something good." Shirofuku-san cued me.

I nodded, smiling a little bashfully, "Well, we've been friends for two years now, he told me; so he wanted us to call each other by our first names. So... yeah. We're doing that now...!" I said nervously, fiddling with my fingers.

"That's it?" Michiko blinked, and I quietly nodded. Michiko sighed.

"Simple things like this are sometimes nice, right? I understand." Otaki-san said with a soft smile. I nodded, smiling behind my hands with pink cheeks.

"It's very nice." I agreed.

Michiko sighed out, giving in, and patted my shoulder, "Alright, well if you're happy, then I'm happy too. Congrats, Moeka-chan! Next up, confession time!" she said with a grin and I blushed again.

I'm starting to wonder if my cheeks will permanently stay red if this keeps up...

"Hey, that's enough rushing her!" Suzumeda-san rolled her eyes, and looked around, "Looks like things are all done until a week from now. We should help tidy stuff away before we all head out. It was nice meeting you these past two days, and we'll see you soon!" she said to me, dragging Shirofuku-san away by the wrist as she walked away, waving goodbye with her other free hand.

I nodded, and waved her off.

We got started tidying things away, packed up, and the training camp was done for the day.

As we waited for Takeda-sensei to roll the bus around, I watched from a distance as Hinata said his goodbyes to Inuoka-san, Kozume-san and Haiba-kun. The latter of whose height still amazed me; it was all the more apparent when compared to Hinata's height side-bye-side.

Everything was well until I overheard Suga-senpai muttering to himself, "In the end... Hinata and Kageyama haven't said a word to each other all afternoon..."

Those words... they made me uneasy.

And the uneasiness would not be unwarranted, as I was about to find out.

* * *

"So, how was your first official training camp with the boys' volleyball team, Yachi-san?" I asked the meek blonde girl as we walked down the stairs from the girls changing rooms across the way from the gym.

"I-It was fu-fun...!" Yachi-san quickly said and I looked at her patiently; she crumbled, "And a little scary, and confusing I guess... I still don't know a lot about volleyball, but I'm trying my best to learn...! B-But most of them are all so tall that I can't help but feel intimidated..." Yachi-san said despairingly.

I laughed quietly and nodded, "I understand that completely. Super tall people make me uncomfortable too..." I confided.

"I-If that's so then why did you pick Volleyball? It's usually for tall people." Yachi-san inquired.

I hummed, "Well originally it was to have something in common with my friend, Micchan. But I grew to really enjoy it. Tall people still intimidate me though. It's why I switched out being a Middle Blocker. I couldn't deal with how other people could jump way higher up than me, so I decided to keep my feet planted on the ground and leave it to those who _could_ jump higher. Like Micchan... Like Hinata! You saw how he jumps right? I saw your poster, it was really nice." I said to her and she blushed under the praise.

I hadn't been aware of it, but apparently Takeda-sensei had been having trouble working up the funds to rent the bus for the training camps, and Yachi-san had worked together with Hinata as her photography model to create a poster to ask for donations to the club's cause. It was super sweet of her to do!

"E-Eh, that? That was um, nothing... Huh?" she trailed off, spotting something in the gym. That's when I realised the lights were still on. I peeked in with her, as Yachi-san called into Kageyama-kun and Hinata inside.

"You two haven't gone home yet?" Yachi-san asked them.

I stepped inside, "What are you guys doing? Kageyama-kun? Shoyo-kun?" I asked, blushing a little still at calling him by name.

Kageyama-kun and Yachi-san noticed the name change and looked at me in surprise, while Hinata turned red again.

He shook it off, physically, with a wild shake of his head, and turned to us, "Could one of you girls put the ball in play for us for just a little bit?" he asked, finishing up tying the net to the pole edges.

I looked at him for a moment. This didn't surprise me. Hinata liked to practice volleyball at all hours, as much as he could. And he hadn't got to play as much today as he would have liked to either so this was bound to happen.

I turned to Yachi-san with a smile, "Why don't you give it a shot, Yachi-san?" I asked her and she jumped in shock.

"Guwah! C-Could I do such a thing...!?" she quailed, caught off guard.

I chuckled, "Of course you can. All you need to do is throw it so it's going to land right above Kageyama-kun's head. It's pretty simple." I told her.

Looking nervous, Yachi-san nodded her head, "O-Okay, I'll give it a shot...!" she agreed.

Hinata punched the air with both arms, "Aw'right! Thanks Yachi-san!" he cheered, and Yachi-san just smiled shyly, going over to the ball bin hesitantly.

I stood watching from the side with a smile. Next year, I'd be going to the girls' team and Shimizu-senpai would be graduating from high school, so this'd be one of Yachi-san's duties as manager. So she had a lot to get used to.

I'm glad that she was giving it her all so far.

But after watching Hinata and Kageyama-kun go for a while, it quickly became obvious what Hinata was trying to do. With each ball Kageyama-kun set for Hinata, he failed to swing accurately with the ball's path, missing every time. Hinata was trying to do it with his eyes open.

They kept trying, and trying, for several minutes, and Yachi-san and I were each slowly getting a bad feeling, like something was about to go down.

Kageyama-kun's face screwed up into a frustrated scowl, "There's tonnes of other things you could be doing, like attacks you've used all along, serving, and blocking, instead of trying to do this attack that you _know_ you can't pull off!" he snapped at Hinata.

"But I...!" Hinata panted, worn out by his efforts, "I have to make this quick strike work, or my reason for being on the court will disappear...!" Hinata said and I frowned sadly.

"That's why I said there's no need for you to think on your own in this quick strike! The blockers won't catch you with my toss!" Kageyama-kun insisted.

"I wont be able to get any better like this!" Hinata snapped back and Kageyama-kun growled.

"...The first round of Spring High preliminaries is next month. That's right around the corner. When that time comes, what's our weapon gonna be, the perfected quick strike, or the quick strike that's completely _useless_ right now!?" Kageyama-kun rose his voice gradually higher and higher, his anger seeping out as he violently grabbed a fist-full of Hinata's shirt.

I gasped, taking a step towards them, "Kageyama-kun...!" I said, but anything more than that wouldn't come out. I couldn't turn my concerns into words...!

"P-Please, don't fight...!" Yachi-san shakily said, looking scared, but Hinata didn't hear that.

"I want the power to fight on my own!" Hinata yelled out.

Kageyama-kun roared angrily, shoving Hinata, "You're gonna destroy the team's balance with your selfishness!" he shouted.

"Hey! Th-there's no need to get all physical – let's talk it out calmly—" I tried, stepping forward again.

"I'll toss the ball to anyone, as long as I think they're necessary to achieving victory..." Kageyama-kun said, suddenly deadly calm; he turned away from Hinata and began towards the gym door, "The same holds true, even now." He added, avoiding eye-contact with Yachi-san and I as he made his way to the exit.

I watched him go sadly.

And then, Hinata got up, yelling as he barreled towards Kageyama-kun, "KAGEYAMAAAA!" he said, charging into Kageyama-kun bodily and grappling with the furious Setter.

I gasped, shocked, "Y-Yachi-san, go find one of our Senpai...!" I quickly said to the terrified girl, who shakily nodded and scrambled out of the gym; I turned to the boys, biting my lip.

"Hey, cut it out...! Shoyo-kun, this isn't the way to get what you—" I was cut off by Hinata himself.

"I won't let you go until you _toss to me_!" Hinata grunted, not budging from his hold on Kageyama-kun, who was wriggling, turning red with anger.

Summoning his strength, he threw Hinata off of him, but Hinata got right back up and ran back at him again, trying to resume his hold on Kageyama-kun.

"Just _stop it_!" I cried at them, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes.

And when it seemed like my words were useless in stopping them and I felt like I could start crying, Tanaka-senpai came running into the gym towards the two of them and separated them with a punch each to both of their cheeks, sending them down to the ground.

I heaved a sigh, watching wordlessly, as Tanaka-senpai took care of things, as Yachi-san returned, huffing for air and surveying the scene.

Today had been so perfect up until now. Why did this have to happen...?

I glanced at the two boys who were good friends of mine and wondered why it came to this.

* * *

The walk to my bus station that night with Hinata and Yachi-san was an extremely awkward one. The pregnant silence between us, amongst the sounds of the world around us, was like a thick blanket of tension.

A few minutes later, Yachi-san had awkwardly bid us farewell for the night when her bus-stop came up, and separated from us.

Now it was just me, and Hinata up ahead of me, wheeling his bike along slowly, a plaster taped to his cheek where he'd been punched.

Suddenly, he spoke up, "Sorry about earlier... Moeka-san... You and Yachi-san kept trying to stop us from arguing but neither of us were listening." Hinata said, turning to look at me with a wry smile.

I shook my head, wanting to say it was nothing, but really, I hadn't liked seeing them arguing like that at all.

Hinata turned to face ahead again as he walked; "I could kinda get where Kageyama was coming from. His thinking about where games are concerned... Though I hated him last year after he slaughtered us that one time... I was starting to think we could be friends... or maybe even partners, ya know...?" he said, and his voice sounded sad and a little disappointed.

"Shoyo-kun..." I mumbled, and he dipped his head; I saw the tips of his ears turn red.

"Sorry... I've gotta sort things out in my head. I'm gonna go on ahead...!" Hinata suddenly said, getting on his bike.

I widened my eyes in surprise, and gulped, furrowing my brows slightly; "Okay..." I mumbled.

With that, Hinata cycled away ahead of me.

I nodded to myself, sighing out sadly. My throat felt tight, from the concern over Hinata and Kageyama-kun's argument rising with in me.

Everyone needed time to be on their own, to filter through all of their feelings, I knew this. I'd needed times like this too.

And so, I decided to leave him to it. I hoped that if he ever needed my help, he would let me lend my hand to him.

I sighed out again, stopping at my bus-stop and waiting. I kinda felt like talking to Kageyama-kun too. I wondered if he felt the same way as Hinata did.

Maybe... Maybe tomorrow I would ask him.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: So some fluff, followed by some "angst"(?). I'm so sorry, but this was a canon event after all...! I hope that fluffy cute scene was enough to even it out? Sorry it's not a love confession or anything – I don't think it's time yet! But now they're on a first-name basis! That's good right?**

 **I hope you guys liked this. Feedback is love~!**


	39. 39 The King's Advice

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 39 – The King's Advice**

I caught Kageyama-kun as he was leaving school the next day; his hands pocked and slouched as he left the school. The team had called off practice for the day due to other commitments some of the other players had to take care of.

"Kageyama-kun! Do you mind if I walk with you?" I called after him, running to catch up with him.

He glanced over his shoulder back at me, his eyebrow arced in surprise, and he waited until I was next to him.

I panted to catch my breath, and patted my chest in relief, "Thanks for waiting!" I said with a smile, looking up at him.

He gave me an odd look, "Why do you want to walk with me? Don't you usually go with... Hinata." He said his name with some hesitation, starting walking again. I fell in step with him.

I frowned at Kageyama-kun, "Don't tell me you guys still aren't talking to each other..." I warned, but seeing him turn his head away awkwardly confirmed that that was the case; I fell in step with him as we began walking, "Shoyo-kun's doing his own thing again today, and sometimes you just need that, so I don't want to bother him. And anyway, I... kinda wanted to talk to you." I told him.

"...About yesterday." He guessed, and I nodded; "I won't apologise." He said stubbornly.

I nodded, sighing, "That's not what I'm asking you for. Shoyo-kun _did_ go overboard. He was desperate to change things up." I said.

"And that's what annoys me. Why ruin a perfectly good attack? Now isn't the time for him to get dumb ideas like that. It'll take a long time for that klutz to get the hang of spiking my toss with his eyes open, and we don't have _enough time_ to wait for him to catch up. The big tournament's coming up." Kageyama-kun said, furrowing his brow.

"I can understand where you're coming from. But please understand where Shoyo-kun is coming from too. The way things are right now he's completely relying on you while he swings aimlessly at the air. He doesn't feel like he's really having a say in the match this way. It's like he's just a proxy for your own skill. That's gotta be frustrating for Shoyo-kun..." I said, and then added, "At least, that's how I think he's feeling, judging by his actions and what I know about him."

Kageyama-kun frowned, looking up ahead as he thought.

"It's not like I don't understand what his feelings. What he's asking for is impossible though, as he currently is, to get done quickly." He replied.

I hummed thoughtfully, "What about you?" I asked him after some thought.

He snapped his head in my direction, to look at me, looking annoyed, "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, and after a pause, he awkwardly added, "I don't understand what you mean..."

I blinked at him, "What I mean is, is it just because of the way Shoyo-kun is? Or is it also because of how you are right now too? Is there any room for improvement on your side?" I prompted him.

He tilted his head, confused, "Hah? There's nothing wrong with my form, though. I've perfected it so that there's optimal speed and strength in my tosses for each player." He replied.

I sighed and shook my head exasperatedly, "You're not getting it, Kageyama-kun...! I _mean-_ " I cut myself off when a little kid bumped into Kageyama-kun and I.

When Kageyama-kun turned his head away from me to look at the little boy, the kid suddenly teared up, looking afraid.

But Kageyama-kun only told the kid, "My bad," in apology. Maybe his face was scary again.

After a quiet moment of thought, and the kid ran away from the two of us, I was about to speak up when the conversation between someone nearby the two of us caught my attention.

"Toru! Teach me how to serve!" a kid yelled cheerily.

"Whoa there! How about we put a suffix in there?" a familiar voice sputtered back at the kid. Kageyama-kun and I immediately turned to the source of that voice.

It was Oikawa-san, and a small boy with a shaved hair was with him.

"Buh!?" Kageyama-kun gaped, shocked.

Oikawa-san's face fell at sight of Kageyama-kun, "Gah..!?"

And then, Kageyama-kun politely bowed, greeting him; "Oikawa-san." He nodded.

"Tobio-chan..." Oikawa-san's eyes rolled over to me, arcing his brows curiously, "And Moeka-chan!" he added, brightening up.

He leaned towards me, choosing to ignore Kageyama-kun, "So what's the big idea, huh, Moeka-chan? You already denied me once. I know you've got my number now, I made sure of it, so why the silence?" he asked me.

I widened my eyes, and sweat-dropped. I'd forgotten about it again...!

Awkwardly, I rubbed the back of my head, smiling apologetically, "Sorry about that. I've had a lot on my mind lately, so I forgot about it." I said. I could feel Kageyama-kun's gaze drilling into the side of my head.

I knew he had questions about why I had Oikawa-san's number.

"Things on your mind huh? But you still had time to go on a date with Kindaichi?" he didn't seem convinced. I blushed.

"I-It _wasn't_ a date! We just hung out!" I insisted, pouting, and blinked, realising, "Wait, how did you know about that? Were you there and saw us, too?" I asked him.

"Too?" Oikawa-san repeated, and shook his head in denial, "No, I wasn't. Kindaichi bragged the next day that he got to go on a date with you. Imagine my surprise...! I had no idea the two of you started—"

"We're not dating...!" I blushed. Why does this keep coming up? It's so embarrassing.

It's embarrassing that I never realised how much like a couple we apparently had seemed that day. But that wasn't what it was to me at all...

Wait... if he bragged about it...

"Does that mean Kindaichi-san likes me...?" I muttered out load.

"You just realised that?" Oikawa-san said and my head shot up, my face pink, "He's pretty obvious. You're pretty dense, huh Moeka-chan." he added.

"I..." I bit my lip. If that's the case...

"Hey, Toru, who are these guys? Is that the girl you were complaining to my mom about? The one who rejected you twice?" the kid spoke up, and it was Oikawa-san's turn to blush.

He turned to hush the little boy up, saying, "I told you to add a suffix...!" before huffing dramatically, "Tobio-chan is a kohai from my middle-school days. And yes, Moeka-chan is the one I was talking about. Why did you have to go into detail about that though...!" he explained.

The kid shrugged, unphased, as I awkwardly watched them.

Kageyama-kun spoke up, "Who is that kid anyway?" he asked, peering down at the boy who unlike the kid from earlier, didn't seem to be afraid of him in the slightest. "Also what are you doing? Wouldn't you have club practice right now?" he added.

"We get Mondays off. I'm looking after my nephew today." He said, patting the boy's head. I widened my eyes in surprise. I had no idea Oikawa-san was an uncle already...!

"S'up! I'm Takeru!" he greeted and I smiled.

"Hello, Takeru-kun. It's nice to meet you," I nodded down to him in greeting, and he nodded back.

"But why would you take a day off every week? That's such a waste...!" Kageyama-kun cut in, talking to Oikawa.

Oikawa-san put a hand on his hip, "Resting and skipping are completely different," he drawled, "Moeka-chan, remember to call me this time!" he said, turning to walk away from us. Takeru-kun hesitantly followed him.

I blinked... _Eh? Such a sudden goodbye...!_

"Um, Oikawa-san...!" Kageyama-kun didn't want the conversation to end either. Rather immaturely, Oikawa-san's response was to turn back and pull on the flesh beneath his eye and stick out his tongue.

"I don't wanna! Bleeeehh!" he said childishly. I sweat-dropped. This guy was supposed to be older than me...?

Kageyama-kun moved to bow to Oikawa-san, "Please. Listen to what I have to say." He requested calmly.

Oikawa-san gazed down at him for a moment, before turning away again, "Why do I have to go out of my way to listen to an opponent," he said pettily.

"P..." Kageyama-kun suddenly raced around Oikawa-san to position himself in front of the third-year again, "PLEASE LISTEEEEEEN!" he yelled, dramatically bowing, surprising both Oikawa-san and I.

A surprised giggle burst from my lips and I tried to squash it, covering my mouth with my hands. I'd give it an A+ for effort.

Oikawa-san stared at him for another moment, before sighing, "Takeru." He said to his nephew.

"What?" the boy replied as his uncle gave him his cellphone.

"Here. Take a picture. You hold it like this, and push that button. Oh, and Moeka-chan, come over here." Oikawa-san said, waving me over. I blinked in surprise, pointing to myself, "Yes, you~" he nodded, smirking.

Awkwardly, I shuffled over to him, "What is it...? Eep!" I gasped, as Oikawa-san threw his arm over my smaller shoulders. I stood there stiff as a board.

"Loosen up, Moeka-chan! Takeru, take a picture of us!" he called back to his nephew, while using his free hand to do a peace sign over his shoulder to the boy.

Takeru dutifully took the picture, and looked up from the phone, "Toru... you're happy with this sort of picture? How lame!" he commented and Oikawa-san flinched so much that he let go of me. I shuffled away a few steps, glad that awkward moment was finished.

Oikawa-san shook off his nephew's comment and turned to Kageyama-kun, "So what is it. I'm a busy guy, y'know." He relented.

"You said you've got free time 'cause your girlfriend dumped you!" Takeru interjected.

"Oikawa-san had a girlfriend!?" I gasped, as Oikawa-san turned to Takeru.

"Hey, Takeru, be quiet, will you!" he said, panicked.

So he was trying to get me to call him, while he still had a girlfriend...? I felt my opinion of him dropping a little at hearing that, and my face fell to a deadpan much like Kageyama-kun's, my blush receding easily.

"Erm, well... if a competition were coming up, but ummm.. uh... Iwaizumi-san started talking about doing an unreasonable sort of attack-" Kageyama-kun slowly said.

"Hold it. If you want to talk about something, stop using crappy examples and just say it straight." Oikawa-san cut in, not buying the 'example'.

I looked to Kageyama-kun, waiting for him to continue.

"Hinata said... that he 'wants to hit the ball of his own will.' In the quick strike that he'd been hitting all this time without looking." Kageyama-kun relented.

"Huh. If he could that'd be incredible. Give it a shot." Oikawa-san nodded in agreement.

"P-Please don't be so quick to say that! That guy doesn't have any skill!" Kageyama-kun flustered. I pouted at him for saying that.

Oikawa-san smirked, looking a little spiteful, "And so you told him 'Just move as I tell you to', right? Just like a dictator, hm?" he said darkly, and Kageyama-kun froze, "Have you considered this? That the little guy will be responding to his desired toss 100%, after having put in the effort to do so?

"Getting it into your head that the present situation is best and sticking to it is pretty cowardly, isn't it? Don't misunderstand. The one who takes the initiative in attacks is the little guy, not you." Oikawa-san said, and turned away, "If you can't understand that, you'll just revert back to being the Tyrant King of the Court again. Let's go, Takeru," Oikawa-san finished saying his piece, walking away.

I glanced up to Kageyama-kun, watching his expression curiously as Oikawa-san departed.

"Kageyama-kun? Do... you need time to yourself to think about things now, too?" I asked, hinting to Hinata, who was in a similar state of self-reflection.

Kageyama-kun was silent, but stiffly nodded.

I smiled supportively, and patted his shoulder, "I know you'll find the answer that's best for you. See you tomorrow?" I said, and he nodded again.

I nodded to myself, and turned and started to walk away. I heard Kageyama-kun walking away in the opposite direction. Then I paused, glancing in the direction Oikawa-san went.

After a moment of thought, I crumbled, deciding on a plan of action for myself as well. Fishing around in my duffel bag for a few moments, I finally fished out that scrap of paper that Oikawa-san had planted in my bag all those weeks ago during the Date Tech match.

After deciding whether or not to text, or call, I decided it'd be quicker to call. He may not see the text until later, after all.

Not giving myself a moment for doubt, I dialed the number into my phone and hit 'call'. I anxiously put it to my ear.

After a few heart pounding dial tones, Oikawa-san picked up.

' _ **Moeka-chan?**_ ' he guessed, hitting the nail on the head.

"It's me..." I agreed.

There was a smirk in his voice, ' _ **I wasn't expecting you to call so quickly. You know if you wanted to talk some more, you could have followed us.**_ ' He drawled.

I shuffled my feet nervously, "I-I know... Um, but I'd already started walking away..." I mumbled.

' _ **How lazy~ Well, what do you want?**_ ' Oikawa-san asked, and hissed to his nephew (I assumed) to quiet down.

"Well... I was wondering... if you could give advice to me too. Um, on my Setting. Like you did for Kageyama-kun." I said shyly.

He hummed, ' _ **And how do I know you're not just doing some Intel of your own, for Karasuno?**_ ' he asked.

"It's purely selfish, I assure you...!" I flushed, "Kindaichi-san m-may have mentioned it. I told him when we were together that I was going to return to playing volleyball myself... and well... I thought maybe I could get some pointers...?" I tried.

There was a pause, before he spoke again, ' _ **Is that all you want out of me? Am I nothing else to you?**_ ' he asked and I widened my eyes.

"N- _No,_ that's n-not what I meant...! I-"

' _ **Relax. I know you're not the manipulative kind of person, to think that far into it.**_ ' He cut in, and I was left worked-up, ' _ **...Tell you what... I'll have a look at your Setting. For a little while. But there's one condition.**_ ' He said.

I brightened up, and sighed out, relieved, "Yes, what is it?" I asked.

' _ **We need someone for you to toss to. I can't be the one, since I'd need to observe your form. So... why don't you call Kindaichi and ask him to join us? I'll text you the address of a gym we can use.**_ ' He said, and I flinched.

Kindaichi-san...

' _ **If you don't feel that way about him, you can't leave him hanging like that. You don't need to tell him today, but you do need to do it soon. So call him over.**_ ' Oikawa-san said, and I flinched again.

Hanging my head, I nodded; Oikawa-san had a point. I couldn't hurt Kindaichi-san like that; if it turned out he really liked me in that way.

"Okay." I agreed softly.

' _ **All right. See you,**_ ' Oikawa-san said, and ended the call. I lowered my phone, keeping it out, and fell into deep thought.

Kindaichi-san... was a nice boy. He'd always been nice to me, but I'd thought that was just the way he was. But maybe that kindness had been especially for me... because he liked me. What would happen if I turned him down...? Would that be the end of our friendship?

Our friendship all of a sudden felt fragile. I wondered if this would break it...

But Oikawa-san was right. I couldn't put this off. Now that I knew, it would only hurt him even more if I ignored it, and let him get his hopes any higher. I just had to hope for the best, that we could still be friends...!

Nervously deciding, I hit the dial button for Kindaichi-san's number on my phone and gave him a call.

* * *

It was nerve wracking, waiting at the gym Oikawa-san had texted me the address to for the two boys to arrive. Kindaichi-san, surprisingly, was the first to show up. He ran towards me, flushed, and looking happy to see me.

I had to swallow the anxiety bubbling up in me, and push a smile onto my face as I greeted him.

He'd told me he'd ran all the way here from his house as soon as he'd gotten the call, looking excited, and I could only laugh nervously. A rather pathetic attempt at a laugh... but he didn't seem to catch on to how uncomfortable I felt.

Even after turning it over in my head, over and over again, as I waited, I still had no idea how to break everything to Kindaichi-san.

Would it be too sudden to just outright ask him if he had a crush on me?

It felt like that would be rude...

Luckily, Oikawa-san and Takeru-kun showed up soon after, but instead of breaking the tension, his appearance only made it thicker. Kindaichi-san's excitement fizzled out, and his expression grew confused.

"Huh? Oikawa-senpai, what're you doing here? Today's supposed to be our day off from Volleyball." He asked his senpai.

"And yet, here you are, to play volleyball with Moeka-chan, hmm?" Oikawa-san nodded, and the first-year flinched, being caught; "I asked her to invite you here." He added.

Kindaichi-san turned to look at me, surprised, "What...?" he asked me.

I shuffled my feet, fiddling with my fingers anxiously, "Well... it's true. I asked Oikawa-san to critique my Setting form when we met up earlier. We needed someone for me to toss to, so... I-Is it okay?" I asked him.

"O-Oh... It's... fine. I'll do it." Kindaichi-san awkwardly agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. It became clear to me that he was disappointed. He'd thought it'd be just the two of us.

Now I just felt awful. I turned to glare weakly at Oikawa-san, who simply replied with a wordless stare. As if to say 'don't glare, this awkward situation is because of your own doing'. And it was true.

"Let's head inside, then, and get warmed up. Takeru, do you need anything to drink from the vending machine first?" he asked his nephew.

"I want melon soda!" the boy replied.

* * *

"Hmm..." Oikawa-san mumbled, rubbing his chin as he watched Kindaichi-san and I finish a spike.

"That was good," Kindaichi-san commented, wiping his sweating forehead.

"Better than Kageyama-kun's toss?" I asked and he nodded, grinning.

"Definitely! It's much easier to hit!" he agreed.

"Moeka-chan..." Oikawa-san's drawl made me shiver. Looking guilty, I turned to him, and scratched my cheek nervously.

"Yes? How was it?" I tried to change the subject. Could that even have been considered flirting?

Oikawa-san just gave me a look; he wasn't impressed. I sighed out quietly, and nodded without a word.

"You seem a little hesitant, when you toss." Oikawa-san continued, and I nodded again; "You have a self confidence problem." He guessed, hitting the nail on the head.

"Yes..." I confided.

"What are you not confident about? Is it Kindaichi, the person you're tossing to? Or is it your own abilities?" he asked.

I blinked, and thought about it; "No, I know that Kindaichi-san's a good spiker. I knew he could hit my toss." I said, shaking my head.

"So it's your own abilities that you're unsure of. Maybe you think that your toss isn't as good as it should be. That you can do better." He guessed.

I nodded, "That's probably true... I've never really believed I was the right person to play the Starting Setter, but... I want to become the right person. What can I do...?" I asked.

"For starters, you need to have faith in yourself. Kindaichi just said your toss was easy to hit." Oikawa-san said and Kindaichi-san nodded in agreement, "Next, you need to stop hesitating, and do what needs to be done." He said cryptically. There was a double meaning there, I knew it.

I nodded quietly.

"Your problems are all mental. Your tosses are good. With enough practice and experimenting, your tosses can get _even better._ So just stop hesitating, and move forward." He told me.

"Toru!" Takeru-kun called from the side, and Oikawa-san looked over to him, "My mom texted you! She wants me back home for dinner and you have to walk me there!" he said, lifting his uncle's phone.

Oikawa stretched his arms, above his head, sighed out, "And that's all the advice I can give you for now. You two can stay here and practice for a while if you want." He said, and we both nodded; Oikawa-san looked right at me pointedly.

I gulped, and nodded again.

"Okay. Thank you for your help, Oikawa-san..." I replied, and he nodded.

And with that, Oikawa-san left Kindaichi-san and I alone in the small gym.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: I'm so sorry that this took so long! This chapter, and the next chapter too, are gonna be really difficult for me to write. Next time, Kindaichi's rejection. Not looking forward to it, but it must be done, since Moeka doesn't like him like that. :'(**

 **Thanks for being patient with me. Any reviews are greatly appreciated~**


	40. 40 To Become Brave

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shōnen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 40 – To Become Brave.**

When Oikawa-san left the gym, Kindaichi-san and I were left to our own devises. The small gym seemed even larger now, the tense atmosphere feeling downright crushing to me.

Kindaichi-san watched his senpai go with furrowed brows.

"What was that just now? Oikawa-senpai was a bit off..." he muttered, suspicious.

I gulped, nervous. Was I even ready to do this? This situation had crept up so quietly on me, but so quickly as well...!

"I-It's just... um..." My throat tightened with anxiety, and I swallowed again; I gave a nervous smile, "Kindaichi-san, can I toss to you for a little while longer...?" I asked him.

I'm a coward. I never knew I could be this cowardly...!

"Eh?" Kindaichi-san blinked at me, still looking a bit confused, but he nodded, "Yeah, of course." He agreed.

I couldn't run away from this forever, I knew. The longer I let this carry on, the more it would end up hurting in the end.

But doing some more tosses would give me time to go over everything in my head. So I resolved to get this done today, no matter how nerve wracking it was. I didn't want to hurt Kindaichi-san; I really didn't...!

During ten minutes of tossing and spiking practice, my tosses kept getting more and more sloppy, and it became more and more obvious how distracted I was to Kindaichi-san.

After he missed a third toss in a row, he landed to the ground and sighed out, panting lightly.

He rubbed some sweat from his forehead and turned to me with a knowing look,

"Mogami-san." He said, and I jumped, my heart in my throat, "Is there something wrong? You seem really distracted today." He asked me.

I gulped, screwing my eyes shut, "I'm so sorry! I have a lot on my mind right now, is all - I'm sorry...!" I apologised profusely.

"It's fine already. So tell me what's wrong. If there's anything I can do... I said I wanted to help you. Remember?" I heard Kindaichi-san say, and I opened my eyes quickly.

He was looking at me concernedly.

I remembered...! Kindaichi-san did say something like that to me.

' _I-If you need someone to talk to… I'd like to… be able to help, so, um… Do you want to t-trade numbers?!_ '

' _That's right... Kindaichi-san always wanted to look after me so sincerely... and I never had a clue! I took advantage of him, didn't I!? I need to fix this,_ now _...!_ ' I thought, furrowing my brows.

I clenched my fists discreetly, and decided.

"K-Kindaichi-san...!" I stuttered out his name, "Do you... Do you like me?" I asked him, getting right to the point.

And at that, Kindaichi-san's calm but concerned expression morphed; his eyes widened, his mouth hung open, and a red flush spread rapidly across his cheeks. He was blushing, very noticeably.

"E-Eh!? W-Well, uh... I... H-How..." he stuttered out, shocked, and it took him several moments to regain his composure, all the while, I stood there awkwardly, biting my lip. It was so obvious, how did I never notice it...?

"Uh... I-It's true. Was I that obvious to you...?" Kindaichi-san finally managed to answer, looking shy, and nervous.

I lowered my eyes, feeling them become wet. I'm really awful, aren't I...

"Actually... no... I'm so sorry...! I totally missed it until... someone told me." I awkwardly said, keeping my gaze to the floor between us.

It felt like such a long time, until Kindaichi-san let out a soft "Oh," in response.

And so we slipped into an awkward silence, unsure what to say next, or who should speak next. I honestly had no idea what to say to him.

But as it turned out, Kindaichi-san had more courage than I did.

"S-So... Now you know. What do you think, about me? I-I promise that I'd treasure you – I'd do everything I could, if you would become my... b-become my g-girlfriend...!" he said, so full of hope.

Kindaichi-san is so brave...!

I can't do this to him...! I choked back a sob at the back of my throat, forcing it back down with all I had.

I had to do this.

"I'm sorry, Kindaichi-san...! I-I never realised that you were interested in me in that way. I've been told by a lot of people lately, how dense I am about things like this...! It's so bad...! All this time I thought of us as just friends." I confessed to him, and sucked in a breath, forcing myself to keep going;

"Kindaichi-san... It was never my intention, to lead you on like that. I really do like you. It's just that... I don't like you in the way you want me to. Actually... There's someone else I like." I said, feeling my face get hotter.

What Kindaichi-san said next shocked me.

"...I know." He said, and I shot my head up to look him right in the eye. He had a bittersweet smile on his face.

"Huh?" I breathed out, as he stepped toward me, an arm raised. I flinched when he moved in and brushed beneath my eye with his fingers, wiping the beginnings of my tears away.

"I already knew you like that number 10 guy, on your team. It's obvious in the way you cheered for him during matches, and from the times I could see you talking to each other, I just couldn't stop noticing it...! I'm... _really jealous_ of him. We might have won that match, but I knew it'd be unlikely that I could get you to look at me the way you look at him," he said, and sighed;

"But... I didn't want to give up. I still had to try...! That's why I approached you, and I took a gamble, and offered myself to you. And it worked. We exchanged numbers and we've gotten to talk so much more than we would have if I hadn't done that. And I came to like you more and more, so..." he trailed off and my heart twisted painfully.

"Kindaichi-san..." I mumbled, unsure what to say to him... I don't... I can't...!

"I know. I know you don't like me the same way as I like you. But Mogami-san... that's fine." He said, still smiling bittersweetly.

"Huh...?" I breathed out, astounded. I would've never pictured this kind of reaction. I... it feels awful of me, but I expected him to cry.

"I still like you." He said, sure, and confident in his feelings, "And I won't give up. And if things don't work out with that number 10 guy, I'll still be here." He said.

He stayed quiet after that, letting it sink in for me. After a moment, he glanced to the clock,

"It's getting pretty late. I need to get home for dinner now. I'll text you later or something, okay?" he said, hurriedly going over to get his things.

He left a little too quickly. It made me feel more worried than I should have been, considering how easily he seemed to take the... the rejection.

That night, as I went about my evening routine, I couldn't get his bittersweet smile out of my head.

* * *

Kindaichi-san didn't text me that night, like he'd said he would. He didn't text the next day either, or the day after that.

The worry and guilt I'd felt that day in the small gym clung to me, and festered until it felt like I had a dark cloud hanging over me. I kept to myself, quietly worrying, thinking, and straight out avoiding others.

It was obvious to my classmates, Tsukishima-san and Yamaguchi-san, I knew. Even Yachi-san, Hinata and Kageyama-kun must've noticed when I said I would eat on my own the other day. I hadn't seen much of the other guys on the team lately.

So when Shimizu-senpai approached me in my classroom and pulled me aside to talk, I knew I'd messed up.

She sat me on a set of steps outside the school buildings and we placed out bento on our laps to eat in silence. The silence was unnerving, but I should've felt relaxed.

Shimizu-senpai had always been a quieter person by nature, I knew. But it was just that I knew she definitely had something to say, and the fact that she wasn't saying it...!

Why...?

"I-I'm sorry." I stuttered out, and put a breaded pork cutlet to my mouth, chewing and swallowing it; "I haven't been to practice these past few days, but I swear, I'm not backing out early or anything...! I-I've just had something on my mind..." I confessed, and ducked my head.

"Yes. We noticed," Shimizu-senpai finally spoke softly, nodding; "Yesterday, Tanaka and Nishinoya were especially concerned about it. They could hardly focus at all." She told me.

I gulped, "I-I'm sorry...!" I apologised... I felt like I was apologizing a lot lately. I was in such a weird mood, ever since that day in the small gym.

"It's okay. But you really should come back. Sometimes, thinking about something on your own about something won't help you solve the problem. You need someone to look at it with a new pair of eyes, so maybe it'll make sense. Or at least, you'll feel a lot better." Shimizu-senpai told me, and I looked at her; she smiled supportively, "Whether it's us, or your friend from Nekoma. Either way, please come back to the Volleyball club. The boys all miss you. And I think you'll be surprised at their progress too." She said.

I nodded slowly, "Yes. I'll come. Tomorrow. I'm sorry about all of this...!" I agreed.

She gently patted my shoulder, "Don't worry about it. We're all here for you when you're ready. The boys will be happy to know you're coming back tomorrow. After all, the Summer Training Camp is coming up." She reminded me.

I nodded again, remembering.

But I couldn't wait until the training camp; I decided, I had to speak to Michiko tonight.

* * *

Luckily, Michiko was online that night, and not playing her videogames as she usually did at this time of the evening.

After a few moments waiting for the video call to connect, Michiko appeared on the other end, looking relieved.

"Moeka-chan, thank god you called...!" Michiko breathed out, and I blinked, caught off guard.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

She ran her fingers through her hair anxiously, "I kinda needed some advice. And I figured you could help me out, since you're my best friend and I love you so much?" she asked, her face turning pink. But there was a bright shine of excitement clear in her brown eyes.

I'd called her because I had problems of my own, but with her looking so sincerely hopeful, I decided to postpone it.

"Um, sure. If there's something I can do, I will. What's going on?" she asked.

"Okay, so don't freak out...!" she said excitably.

"I think you're the one who's freaking out, Micchan," I said, my lips curling into a smile.

She laughed, and rubbed the back of her head, nodding, "Yeah, you're right there! So, have you heard about that movie that's out right now? The police drama one, _Midsummer's Equation_?" she asked, and I nodded, "So I asked Akaashi-kun if he'd like to see it with me!" she said.

I widened my eyes, "You asked him on a date!?" I asked her, surprised.

She averted her eyes, "Well not in so many words... I didn't actually use the words 'date' or anything. I think as far as he knows, it's just two people going to see a movie together. But the point is, I asked him, and he said _yes_! We're going to see it after the summer training camp is done with!" she told me.

"I see! Congratulations. I hope the not-date goes well...!" I said to her with a smile.

She nodded, looking torn, "What I need help with is to make him see that I don't see it as a not-date without being too obnoxious, you know? I don't want him to think I'm weird..." she said with furrowed brows.

I nodded, understanding, "There should be no doubt between the two of you, whether your just friends or if there's the possibility of something more." I said, understanding that more than anything.

After all, I'd just gone through the same thing with Kindaichi-san just recently.

Michiko seemed to have noticed there was something more to my words, and eyed me curiously.

"Hey...Before we get into my stuff, was there something you actually called me for?" she asked me. Looks like as well as oblivious, I'm also obvious...

"Yes... you see... I had to reject someone who I considered a friend a couple of days ago, and it's been bothering me," I confided.

"Huh?! Who was it? Someone on your team? Was it Kageyama?!" she asked quickly and I blushed.

"What? No! Why would you mention Kageyama-kun!?" I gasped at her.

"Well, you spoke well of him all the time, despite what happened in middle-school, and it looked like you're really warming up to him. That, and you seemed like friends." She explained, "So if it's not him, then who confessed to you?" she asked me.

I put my hands on my face, rubbing my forehead, "It's more complicated than that. I had no idea Kindaichi-san even liked me until Oikawa-san mentioned it to me." I groaned.

"Wait, who are these people? Oh! I think you mentioned Oikawa as a senpai of Kageyama's from middle-school!" Michiko commented, "Who's Kindaichi again?" she added.

"He's also a former team-mate of Kageyama-kun's... Apparently he's liked me for a while now, and I'd thought he was just being nice for the sake of being nice, all this time... But apparently, I'm super dense." I sighed.

Michiko giggled, "Well this isn't a new thing, you know?" she said to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Well, ever since I've known you, I've seen guys looking your way. You're a cute and nice girl. It's only natural that guys would be interested. But they all eventually realise how dense you are. Remember Kiyoshi-kun?" she asked me.

I widened my eyes, shocked; "Him too?!" I gasped. He'd been the boy that sat next to me in class.

Michiko nodded, "He cleared off when they saw how close you were getting to Hinata. He knew he didn't stand a chance, poor guy." She said with a sigh.

I covered my face, blushing. I really _was_ oblivious, wasn't I?

"I can't believe this... I'm really awful, aren't I Micchan..." I said softly.

"Well, you could be more observant, that's true. Maybe if you looked more carefully, you'd realise how loved you are. So, I think I understand your problem. You're upset that you didn't notice, and that you had to hurt this Kindaichi's feelings." She summarized, and I nodded.

"Oikawa-san said it would be best to clear things up quickly, so I did. But... Kindaichi-san... he... said he wouldn't give up. Even if I said I didn't like him like that." I explained.

"Ahh... So you feel guilty, because he's not deterred by it. You'd like for him to be able to move on." She guessed.

"Yes... you know me so well, Micchan..." I nodded, raising my head.

"Of course I do. You're my best friend, I need to be omniscient about these things!" Michiko smiled, "Sometimes, you need to move on yourself. You made a decision to not let things move forward beyond friendship for you and this guy. You need to stick to your guns. Because you know what, or _who_ you want, don't you." She said.

"Shoyo-kun..." I agreed.

"That's right! So don't feel guilty! If you want to make it up to Kindaichi, keep being true to your own feelings, and think about confronting Hinata with them, soon." Michiko said.

I blushed deeply, "I couldn't...!" I shook my head.

"You can!" Michiko insisted, "Do you believe in me, your bestest buddy?" she asked me.

I nodded hesitantly in agreement.

"I wouldn't be pushing you into something I didn't think would end up with your happiness. Maybe you should look harder at Hinata, and see what you may have missed so far." She said and I stared at her, my jaw dropping.

"Do you think maybe...?" I mumbled.

"You won't know unless you try. Be brave, Moeka-chan, and I know you'll be glad that you were." Michiko told you.

I stayed quiet, looking to my lap as I thought about what she'd said. She's right, really. I won't know unless... If I don't try to take a chance, nothing will change.

I raised my head to look at Michiko again and smiled, "Okay, Micchan. I'll do my best." I said, and she nodded, looking pleased; "So about your not-date. I think I'm ready to try and help you too." I said.

"Yes, please, Moeka-sensei!" she cheerily saluted, and I snorted.

"Cut that out~" I laughed with her.

Yeah. I've gotta be braver. I'll start by returning to the boys tomorrow and ridding them of their concerns over me.

* * *

When I entered the gym next day, I was greeted by a wall of noise in the form of Tanaka-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai and Hinata's cries of surprise and happiness.

"Moeka-san! You came back!" Hinata said, looking so pleased and relieved, his cheeks dusted pink.

I nodded shyly, looking him in the eye and nodding, "I'm sorry that I worried you guys. I'm okay now." I said. Hinata just smiled, and nodded.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." He said, as I felt someone pat my head gently; I looked up to see Tanaka-senpai smiling down at me.

"Don't worry us like that again, you hear? You told us you'd stick with us for the rest of the year!" he said.

Nishinoya-senpai pointed to his chest with his thumb, "If you ever do something like that again, I'll just drag you back here myself!" he said.

I laughed a little, rubbing my arm awkwardly, "Yeah, I understand. I won't do it again, though..." I said, and felt someone else's eyes on me. I glanced over to see Kageyama-kun looking at me as if he wanted to talk to me, but didn't really want to interrupt.

I wordlessly nodded to him, and he understood. We'd talk later.

"You've missed quite a bit since you were gone, you know. We'll have to get you back up to speed. Oh, unless Shimizu already did that. I heard you had lunch together yesterday." Suga-senpai said, glancing over to the quiet glasses-wearing girl.

She shook her head, "We didn't really talk in detail about it." She replied.

"But she did say I'd be surprised." I said, tilting my head, "So what happened?" I asked the boys.

"Most of us have been working on new team-play tactics such as different tempo's and synchronized attacks. A lot of people have been working on developing their individual skills too." Suga-senpai said, nodding his head to Asahi-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai, "Asahi started working on improving his serving, while Noya took a leaf from Nekoma's Libero's book and is giving Setting a go." He explained.

I looked at Nishinoya-senpai in surprise, and he grinned at me, putting his hands on his waist, "You'll have to give me some pointers, Moeka-san!" he said cheerily.

I smiled and nodded, "Of course I will... I'll do my best to...!" I agreed, and he nodded.

"And someone else also made some improvements in his Setting, too, right Kageyama?" Suga-senpai said with a grin, looking over at the dark-haired Setter.

I turned my attention to him, and he averted his eyes, seeming shy, although his surly expression betrayed it, "It's not finished though..." he muttered to himself.

"And I got better too! Hey, guess what! I got to train with the coach that coached the Small Giant!" Hinata chimed in, looking ecstatic.

I blinked, surprised, "What—who's that?" I asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"He means my old man, Coach Ukai Senior. I introduced the kid to him, since I thought my old man would find him interesting," Ukai-san explained.

I nodded, humming.

"Anyway, we need to get started on our warm-ups first. Let's get started guys," Daichi-senpai announced, clapping his hands together once, and the boys all nodded, getting to work.

Daichi-senpai turned to smile at me, "Glad you're feeling better and are back with us, Mogami-san. You'll be coming along for the Summer Training Camp tomorrow, won't you?" he asked.

I nodded, "I will! Thank you!" I said, bowing my head in thanks.

With that, the afternoon practice of the day began. I was glad to be back.

* * *

After practice ended, I quietly went to the side with Kageyama-kun, and explained what had happened yesterday. How I met up with Oikawa-san and Kindaichi-san, learnt about Kindaichi-san's feelings for me, and how I ended up rejecting him. I told him about how Kindaichi-san had chose not to give up anyway, and how it had plagued my mind.

Kageyama-kun hadn't completely understood why it had bothered me for so long, but accepted it.

He also said that if I wanted Setting tips I could come to him. Although Oikawa-san was someone he respected as his senpai, Kageyama-kun told me that if I was serious, he was there. As long as it didn't overlap with his own training, that is.

I thanked him for his support, and filed away that information.

And now, here I was, walking to the bus stop with Hinata for the first time in a few days. We were talking about normal topics, up until Hinata spoke up.

"I... overheard you and Kageyama talking." Hinata admitted, and I looked to him, surprised, and a little nervous.

"Y-Yeah...?" I asked him.

"You got confessed to, but you rejected them. Why...?" Hinata asked me.

I sighed out shakily, and bit my lip; "I just couldn't see him as anything more than a friend. It didn't feel right to lead him on anymore. And... I already have someone I like." I admitted, my cheeks becoming flushed.

"O-Oh... You do...?" Hinata asked.

I nodded, "I do," I said, glancing to Hinata shyly.

He turned to look forward, his cheeks turning red, "I-I see..." he said softly, "And... you won't lead _him_ on like you did that other guy...?" he asked.

I shook my head, "No...! I'll never lead them on! And if they'll have me, once I've built up the courage... I'll tell them." I said, ducking my head to hide my flushed cheeks behind the bangs of my hair.

I glanced through the gaps between my bangs to Hinata, and saw the slightest of nods.

Yes...

From now on, I'm going to build up all of the courage in me.

Hopefully, soon, I'll be able to say those three words to you, Hinata Shoyo.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: I'm sorry this took me so long! I'm on a two-week course right now, which leaves me with not a lot of time to write. At the same time, it's very hot in the UK right now, which means: Hot weather + me = not productive.**

 **Anyways, I got it out in the end, which I'm glad for. I hope that you liked the chapter! Things are moving along nicely and I think it wouldn't be a stretch to say a confession may happen before Season 2's events finish. That's what I'm aiming for anyways!**

 **Next chapter may be delayed because of that course I mentioned, but I also want to inform you: I'll be starting with writing the Ball of Sunshine Special from now. It'll be posted as a separate story so keep an eye on my profile page, or if you want to, follow me as a writer so you can be notified when the first part is posted! Thank you for all of your support so far - it's thanks to you guys that I didn't give up on this!**

* * *

Edited July 1st, 2017: Fixed some continuity errors to make the next chapter easier to write. Kageyama and Hinata still haven't made up now, as per canon.


	41. 41 There's Something About Tsukishima

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump,_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 41 – There's Something About Tsukishima**

With the next day, Summer Break finally rolled around, and alongside of the rest of Karasuno's Boys Volleyball Club, I was also stepping off the hired bus in front of Shinzen Private High School.

"Hey, hey! Where's Tokyo Sky Tree!?" Tanaka-senpai immediately crowed, the moment we got off the bus, still exhausted from our overnight trip.

Hinata, not affected either, joined in, bounding over to Kozume-san who'd come to greet us alongside a few other Nekoma members; "Where's the Skytree?!" he asked the Setter.

"Um, the sky tree...?" Kozume-san shifted uncomfortably.

Hinata pointed to a red steel tower, "Ah! Is that Tokyo Tower over there?!" he asked excitedly.

"Geh... That's... That's... a normal... steel tower." Kozume-san said nervously.

Kuroo-san laughed, turning to Daichi-senpai, "What, don't you guys have steel towers in Miyagi? That conversation's giving me déjà vu." He smirked.

"The steel towers in Tokyo all look like Tokyo Tower to us country folk, okay!" Daichi-senpai snapped.

"Hey, that's rude. This is Saitama, anyway. Tokyo Tower wouldn't be around here." Suga-senpai reasoned.

I looked around curiously, and was honestly kind of surprised that Michiko wasn't here with the boys to greet us too, like last time. I looked around, and to my chagrin, couldn't find any Nekoma players that weren't giants to ask.

I sighed out anxiously, and decided to just go for it and ask the person most likely to know where their manager was; the team captain.

I approached the tall boy with dark messy hair and sharp looking eyes that had been teasing us 'country folk'.

"Um... e-excuse me...!" I said, slowly walking over the group of third years.

Upon noticing it was him I was actually talking to, Kuroo-san smirked and turned to me, peering down at me.

"Ohoho, I never thought you'd actually approach me, considering what the Little Kitty told me," He drawled.

I blinked, "What cat?" I asked, caught off guard.

"Little Kitty, you know. It's what I call are dear lady manager. She said that really tall people intimidated her friend. You are her friend Mogami-chan aren't you?" he clarified; waving off the odd look I was giving him.

I think I sort of remembered Michiko complaining about nicknames, so I guess it fit. I nodded.

"Right. So, what can I do for you, Mogami-chan? If there's anything I can do, let me know." He asked me.

I felt the tension in me loosen up. Kuroo-san, despite how he looked at a first glance, wasn't a bad guy. Actually, he seems nice, if not the type to tease.

"A-Actually, I was looking for Micchan, um, that is, Michiko, your manager. Why isn't she here with you guys?" I asked him, feeling a little braver now.

"Ahh, that's it, huh? Well, about that. She didn't sleep that well apparently, so she's having a bit of a catnap. We didn't wanna wake her, you see." He explained to me.

"She's sleeping..." I repeated, surprised.

Usually, Michiko didn't have any trouble sleeping. She was an early riser too, thanks to three years of morning volleyball practice back in middle school.

"You wanna go check up on her?" Kuroo-san guessed; I nodded; "Well, I've gotta guide these guys into the gyms and stuff, but Yaku can probably take you." He said, nodding to Yaku-san.

The short Libero nodded, "Yeah, sure. Come with me." He gestured me over.

I nodded, and turned to my boys, "I'm gonna go ahead. I'll come back to the gyms once I've checked on Micchan." I told them and they nodded.

"See you later!" Hinata called after me as I followed Yaku-san away. I looked back over my shoulder and waved back, before continuing.

* * *

Yaku-san showed me to where the girls were sleeping while we were here, and left me to it while saying one of the other assistant managers could show me to the gym afterwards.

I thanked him for his help, and stepped into the room. Michiko was lying with her back away from me, curled up in her futon on the floor.

There were a bunch of opened magazines, pens and some paper laid out in a messy pile next to her futon.

I knelt down to see what they were and found girls' magazines, with date and outfit advice columns. Ah. So she's still stressing over her not-date.

"Did you stay up late reading these...?" I mumbled, reading over her scrawled notes.

"Mmhh? Moeka-chan...?" Michiko grumbled, then jumped up in shock, gasping, "You're already here?! What time is it?" she asked, surprised.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I said, and glanced down at the pile again, "You know, it's probably not a good idea to stress out and over plan this... Especially if you're losing sleep. Akaashi-san probably wouldn't want that." I said softly.

"Easy for you to say... You'll probably be the same if you ever go on a date with Hinata!" Michiko laughed, scratching her cheek; I blushed, "I can't help it. I want to impress him - I want him to like me!" she said quietly to me.

I hummed, and nodded, "I kinda get it. But you should sleep properly! I kept worrying about things that night before our last match in middle school, and it really messed me up." I said to her.

"...I didn't know you didn't sleep well... I'm sorry I sprung my move on you back then, Moeka-chan." Michiko frowned.

I shook my head, "Never mind all that. Micchan, you just need to be yourself on your not-date. If you don't act natural, you can't make Akaashi-san like who _you_ are, really." I said.

Michiko sighed out heavily, looking at her notes, and nodded hesitantly, "You've got a point." She said, and checked her phone for the time, "Well, I'd better get dressed so we can head down. The teams are all here, right?" she asked.

I nodded, getting up, "Yeah."

* * *

When we got back, the practice matches for the day had already started up. Karasuno were playing against the team with Akaashi-san in, Fukurodani Academy first.

Everybody was staring dumbfounded at Kageyama-kun, and I raised my brows curiously. I wondered what was going on, and so I waved Michiko on her way over to her own team, before going over to join Suga-senpai on the sidelines.

"What's going on, Suga-senpai?" I asked him and he jumped slightly, having not heard me coming.

"Oh, it's you," he sighed out, relieved, and pointed over to Kageyama-kun, "Kageyama just totally messed up on his toss. It caught us all be surprise. His toss couldn't even reach Hinata, whereas he usually sends it straight to his palm, you know?" he explained.

I nodded, understanding, and looked over to Kageyama-kun curiously.

He was currently blushing embarrassed, while being patted roughly on the side by Tanaka-senpai.

Hinata was staring at him in surprise, and curiosity, just as I was.

The match soon started up again, and I saw first hand this time how Kageyama-kun seemed to be flubbing his tosses. This time, instead of falling too short, it went too far.

However, Hinata moved at the last second, catching it with his wrist and sending it back up and over.

"Whoa!" Suga-senpai gasped next to me, and I had to agree.

That was a nice save...!

With that point scored, it was Asahi-senpai's serve.

"Give 'em a good one, Asahi-san!" I heard Nishinoya-senpai yell to the third-year. And he sure did. He sent it flying...out of bounds!

"It's fine! Keep going!" Ukai-san urged them on.

I was seeing first hand some of the skills Karasuno had developed while I was absent...and it was all over the place! If they could become better coordinated, this could be something really promising.

* * *

The match against Fukurodani Academy continued to be a disaster, and it wasn't too big a surprise when Karasuno lost the practice match.

As I handed out towels and drinks to the boys with Shimizu-senpai and Yachi-san, I thought to myself about if I could do anything to help their synchronization improve... but I drew a blank.

They didn't seem to be put down by their first loss of the day though. If anything, they seemed more fired up than ever to get it right.

And I couldn't wait to see it when they did finally get it right.

For now though, they had just finished a penalty task, one decided by Shinzen for all the teams at the camp. This time, instead of flying fall drills across the gym, they had to run up this grassy bank outside of the gym.

I glanced over to Yachi-san out of the corner of my eye, and noticed that as she gave Yamaguchi-san his bottle, the boy was flushed, and smiling down at the blonde nervously.

Hmmm...

I turned and glanced over at Hinata. It kind of reminded me of how I get around Hinata sometimes, although it wasn't exactly the same.

It left me wondering about Yamaguchi-san and Yachi-san though.

I didn't want to ask, while they were both together, though...In case I was wrong.

* * *

The day swiftly came to an end and everybody was all worn out. Karasuno had failed to win any practice matches that day, unable to synch back up with one another, and thus had done far more penalty tasks than any of the other times.

I was looking for Yamaguchi-san to talk about earlier with, since I thought it might be too much for her if I asked Yachi-san. That, and it seemed like it was more on Yamaguchi-san's side.

I accidentally ended up eavesdropping on a conversation between him and Tsukishima-san in the process though.

"Tsukki! I'm gonna work on my serves now, but... What are you-"

"I'm going to take a bath an go to bed." Tsukishima-san interjected, catching his friend off guard.

"I... see... Umm..." he sounded awkward.

"What." Tsukishima-san said flatly.

"I just thought you might... practice something on your own too, so..." Yamaguchi-san said uncertainly.

Tsukishima-san sighed out, "I'm practiced enough today, I'm sick of it. I certainly hope you aren't saying I should work 'till I drop." He said.

"Y-You've got a point..." Yamaguchi-san stuttered, as Tsukishima walked out the door by me, and spotted me.

He gave me the nastiest look, "Eavesdropping isn't nice, Mogami-san." He said, before heading off.

"I-I didn't do it on purpose...!" I gasped, watching him go, my face red.

"Eh? Mogami-san...?" Yamaguchi-san poked his head out the doorway, looking a little surprised, "Were you looking for Tsukki? I'm sorry he walked off on you too." He said.

I shook my head, "I was looking for you. And it's not your fault." I told him.

He blushed a little, and laughed self-depreciatingly, "It kinda was. I said something that ended up upsetting him somehow." Yamaguchi-san said, glancing away.

I titled my head, "But you were just asking him if he was going to do anything else, right? I don't understand how that'd upset him. He shouldn't talk to his best friend like that." I said, pouting.

He smiled a little, "Thanks... but Tsukki's actually kinda complicated. And it's not my place to tell you about that, so..." he trailed off, "Y-You said you were actually looking for me? I'm surprised." He said.

I smiled to him, "Don't be. Sounds like you were going to practice your serves. Want me to hand you the balls?" I asked him.

"O-Oh... thank you...?" Yamaguchi-san rubbed the back of his head, looking slightly confused, but grateful. He seemed to have caught on that that wasn't what I was looking for him for, but didn't press it.

That's fine. I'd work it in somehow.

My mind drifted to Tsukishima-san's retreating form again, momentarily, before I shook my head and focused on helping Yamaguchi-san.

After ten to fifteen minutes of helping him with his serves, I broke the question to him.

"Yamaguchi-san, do you like anyone?" I asked him and he dropped the ball in shock, flushing red.

"E-Eh, wha...?!" he looked at me, red in the face and looking like this was the last thing he wanted to be talking about.

I smiled softly, "I won't make fun of you for it. You... were looking pretty nervous around Yachi-san earlier. But you've been more natural around me or Shimizu-senpai so far, so I kinda wondered," I explained, taking my gaze off him in hopes to make him less nervous.

He rubbed his head, "I know you wouldn't make fun of me... It's just that even I don't know, right now... Yachi-san... is cute... and nice... but I just don't know," he said, blushing.

I nodded, "I didn't know for a long time either. Once you know though, it doesn't stop you being nervous, though. If anything, I'm feeling more nervous than ever," I confided.

"Huh...? Wait, you mean...?" Yamaguchi-san gasped.

"Don't tell anyone...?" I asked, shy. He stared, and nodded quickly. I decided to change the subject a little bit. Well, except not really. I was just curious.

"Yamaguchi-san... could you tell me... How does a boy act when they like a girl?" I asked him.

"Eh... what a question..." Yamaguchi-san awkwardly scratched his cheek; "They'll look at the girl a lot, but look away when they're caught staring... They'd wanna seem cool, or strong in front of them, so they'd wanna show off or defend them, or something... Probably, they'd smile a lot at the girl, they'd wanna talk to them a lot, and treat them special... I dunno...!" he said, shrugging his shoulders.

I nodded slowly, "I see... Sorry, I brought up such an awkward topic." I said.

"N-No, it's fine...! We haven't talked a lot, so I'm glad," he said, and laughed nervously, "I'm just not good at these kinds of conversations..." he said.

I smiled, "Thank you for trying...! Let's talk more, about things that aren't so awkward, next time!" I said to him.

"Yeah..." he agreed.

"Hey, hey, there you are~" Shirofuku-san called, appearing in the doorway, "Dinner's already started, you know. You guys'll miss it if you don't move it," she informed us.

"Ah, thank you, Shirofuku-san!" I called back over.

"Please, it's Yukie!" she said with a smile, and headed off. I think I saw Suzumeda-san with her as she left.

I sighed out, "Well, we'd better get these balls tidied away and head over quickly!" I said and Yamaguchi-san agreed.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, I felt eyes on me, and looked around to see who. I was surprised, when I caught Hinata staring at me.

' _They'll look at the girl a lot, but look away when they're caught staring..._ ' I remembered Yamaguchi-san say, as I heard Tsukishima-san and Nishinoya-senpai talking nearby.

Remembering that, I focused my gaze on Hinata, returning the stare curiously.

He turned red, and quickly turned back to his food, digging into the rice frantically. Next to him, Suga-senpai told him to slow down, or he'd choke.

I felt myself blush a little, as I thought to myself, ' _Well that's one of the things Yamaguchi-san mentioned..._ '

I smiled a little, and dug into my own food.

Maybe I could let myself really start to hope. After all, it was also true that Hinata smiled a lot around me too. That part had always been true of Hinata.

* * *

Today's practice matches didn't go any better the ones from yesterday, with yet another day of losing match after match. It was no lie that the other teams at this camp were high-level players, much like Seijoh were.

The other girls, to help out in the kitchens, pulled me aside at one point.

To my pleasant surprise, Shinzen Academy's Parents Association had donated watermelons to the teams taking part in the training camp, which was sure to be a much needed refreshment for the boys, who were probably overheating from jumping around all over the place in this baking summer heat.

When we returned with the watermelons all cut, the boys looked ecstatic. Moved, even. It was kinda cute.

Since the girls were in charge of handing out watermelon slices to the boys, I was hard at work, in between having my own slice to eat.

I moved over to hand some to my senpai, Daichi-senpai, Asahi-senpai and Tanaka-senpai.

"Senpai, do you need new slices yet?" I asked them.

"Ah, thanks, Moeka-san!" Tanaka-senpai said enthusiastically, taking another slice and discarding his finished rind in the bin bag set up for it. He immediately started digging in.

"Hey, er, sorry..." I heard Kuroo-san approaching my senpai, who looked up at him.

"Eh? For what?" Daichi-senpai asked him.

"I might've... offended that glasses guy you've got on your team yesterday." Kuroo-san said and we all looked at him at confusion and curiosity. He went on to explain that he, Akaashi-san and Fukurodani's Ace had dragged Tsukishima-san into some extra blocking practice with them last night, after I'd seen him walk off.

"Huh! To think even Tsukishima ended up doing independent practice with you guys!" Daichi-senpai said, "So, you said something to him?" he asked, as Kuroo-san sat down by them.

"I said he'd end up losing to that shorty on your team, to provoke him into trying harder..." he said.

Asahi-senpai nodded, seeming to understand, "There have definitely been times when Tsukishima's come across as feeling inferior to Hinata." He mentioned and I widened my eyes.

I had no idea Tsukishima-san felt inferior to Hinata...!

"Oh, I dunno if it's related or not, but my sister said..." Tanaka-senpai paused to swallow his food, "She said there was a guy called Tsukishima around in the boys' volleyball club at the same time as the Small Giant a few years back." He finished.

"Wait, what? Tsukishima's brother was on the same team as the Small Giant?!" Daichi-senpai asked, shocked, while Kuroo-san looked lost.

Understandably. This was a Karasuno matter. Who knew, history would repeat itself... Another Tsukishima, and the guy who wants to become the new Small Giant...

"Oh, but, we don't know for sure, okay? It might jut be someone else with the last name." Tanaka-senpai brushed off as Suga-senpai called out saying the break was coming to an end.

But it was still a mystery to me why Tsukishima-san was like this. Surely, it couldn't be just because of Hinata...

' _Tsukki's actually kinda complicated. And it's not my place to tell you about that, so..._ '

What kind of history does Tsukishima-san have, to have this kind of attitude to the Volleyball club? Did it really have something to do with this supposed brother...?

I had a feeling he wouldn't tell me, even if I asked, but it didn't stop me from being curious, and even a little concerned.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Wow, sorry, I think it's been nearly 2 weeks? I didn't realise I took that long, oh my god. I hope this chapter makes up for it! I'm not so sure about that title I chose... might end up changing it? Might just leave it? Don't know yet. x'D**

 **I can't believe it's already July... In just over 2 weeks I'll be turning 27, ack!**

 **Review if you want to. Your support means a lot to me!**


	42. 42 The Third Gymnasium

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 42 – The Third Gymnasium**

The rest of the day, and the rest of the following day went by without a single win for Karasuno yet again. The boys were exhausted after having to do the uphill sprints between each consecutive loss.

As Hinata finished gulping up the last of his water from the water bottle I'd handed him, and wiping the sweat from his forehead, I could hear the rest of the boys chattering as they came back inside from their final penalty game of the day too.

I smiled over to Hinata, "How're you holding up? Another rough day, huh Shoyo-kun," I asked him.

He looked at me, and smiled, nodding, going to grope at his thigh, "Yeah, my legs are killing me. I can't believe we didn't win a single match though...!" he then went on to pout.

"Hence your aching legs. Those uphill sprints can't be fun but that's why they're a penalty I guess. But look at it this way, it's also going to improve the strength of your legs, and you may be able to jump even higher soon." I said, and had a brief image of Hinata crashing into the roof of the gymnasium, before shaking it off with a laugh, "Although maybe there's limits to that," I added and Hinata just tilted his head at me, not getting it.

Tsukishima-san then stepped into the gym ahead of the rest, and that's when Fukurodani's Ace bounded over to him.

"Heeeey, Megane-kun! How about doing spike practice with me again, today?" he called cheerily to Tsukishima-san.

Both Hinata and I looked at them in surprise. Tsukishima-san said he was going to pack in for the day when he left Yamaguchi-san and I yesterday, though... He actually ended up doing more practice?

Oh, perhaps was is where Kuroo-san 'offended' him?

"Sorry, I'll pass." Tsukishima-san turned down the Fukurodani Ace, and I saw Hinata's jaw drop. Ah, maybe he was jealous Tsukishima-san got the opportunity and he didn't?

The Ace took it in a stride and as quickly as he came, he left to join Kuroo-san. Hinata immediately confronted Tsukishima-san and I curiously followed behind him.

"What was that?! Are you friends with Fukurodani's Ace?!" Hinata asked.

"Not even close." Tsukishima-san drawled.

"Why'd you refuse him?! That's a huge waste!" Hinata pushed.

"Be quiet already. I'm not an idiot with insane stamina like you." Tsukishima-san said, walking away from Hinata.

"What the hell?! What's Tsukishima's problem! That Fukurodani Ace guy went to the trouble of inviting him to practice and he said no! I can't believe it!" Hinata yelled, complaining to Yamaguchi who was cleaning off his sweat with a towel nearby.

"Woah, Fukurodani's Ace? That's amazing!" Yamaguchi-san gasped, turning to us.

"I know, right? It's such a waste." Hinata pouted, sighing out.

Yamaguchi-san looked thoughtful, then, turned to Hinata fully, "Hey, Hinata... Um... What would you say to Tsukki, the way he is right now?" he asked the red-head, but Hinata didn't seem to understand, so he continued, "You know... Like those times with Kageyama... and Yachi-san! You seem pretty good at cheering people on and motivating them, after all!" he explained.

Hinata just stared at him, and glanced at me curiously, like as if to ask 'did I ever do that?'

I smiled and nodded to him. It was true. There's been many ways that Hinata's been able to inspire me after all, and he doesn't even seem to realise he's doing it. It's just who he is, and it's one of the reasons I like him.

Hinata blushed slightly, and turned to Yamaguchi-san with a serious expression, "I wouldn't say anything." He said to the freckled boy, surprising him; I listened on curiously, "I mean, I don't even know if Tsukishima wants to play volleyball. If someone doesn't wanna play, telling them 'let's do it!' isn't gonna make a difference... Dammit! Even though he's got that height, he's like that! If I were that tall, I'd do all sorts of stuff!" Hinata switched into complaining again, and Yamaguchi-san looked thoughtful.

"Tsukki probably... Doesn't dislike Volleyball... If he did, he wouldn't have even come to Karasuno." He said.

"What about you?" Hinata asked Yamaguchi-san, "What would you say to him?" he added.

Yamaguchi-san blinked, and dipped his head, "I don't know... Um... Thanks, for your help Hinata." He said, and quickly excused himself. I watched him go quietly, then turned to Hinata.

"You've given him some good food for thought, Shoyo-kun. I'm sure he'll be able to figure things out with Tsukishima-san now." I said to him, and he nodded.

"Anyways, I wanna practice spiking with my eyes open some more!" Hinata suddenly said loudly, and I jumped in surprise.

"O-Oh, right?!" I gasped.

He turned to me, "Will you send tosses to me?" he asked hopefully.

"...Still haven't made up with Kageyama-kun...?" I asked after a pause, frowning a little, "I-I don't mind helping but..." I trailed off.

He lowered his gaze, frowning a bit, "I'm sorry. We must be worrying you." He said, and looked up again, "I'll try to work things out with him soon, but, for now will you help me Moeka-san...?" he asked.

I blushed at hearing him say my name again, and smiled, nodding, "Okay..."

We wheeled a basket of volleyballs up to a net and got ready to go; "Ready?" I asked him, and he called out a 'yeah!'.

I tossed the ball up for him and he ran in, jumped, and hit the ball. It slapped the floor of the court with a nice loud noise, and bounced a bit, before rolling off as Hinata landed.

He looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers a little, "It's been a while since I've hit your toss... It's still as great as ever!" he said, and smiled sunnily.

I had to avert my eyes from that bright smile, hiding a smile behind my hand, "Th-Thanks..." I said shyly.

He nodded, "Even after not playing for a while, you haven't lost it. Hey, maybe you could fit some training in while we're here too? Maybe you could ask Kenma or one of the other Setters for pointers!" he suggested.

I blinked, and widened my eyes; well, he had a point! Technically, I could try that. I'd already managed to ask Oikawa-san, and that worked out all right. Maybe I could get Michiko to get a good word in for me with Kenma or something...

"Hey, guys?" we heard Yachi-san's voice and turned to her; she was walking towards us from near the doorway, "Didn't you hear that? Yamaguchi-san just took off running while making a strange sound. I hope he's okay...!" she said.

I didn't hear anything... maybe I was too caught up in what I was thinking about though..

"Eh? What kind of sound?" Hinata asked.

"Like this..." she said, and then imitated Yamaguchi-san, "TSUKIIIIII!"

I covered my mouth to stifle a laugh, while Hinata grinned, "Ohh! He must've gone to see Tsukishima!" Hinata guessed; "You know, Tsukishima woud never do anything uncool. Like, he doesn't screw up on tests and he's never all _whoosh_ or _fwoosh_ with everything... So I think he'll be fine. After all, if you compare being good at volleyball to being bad at it, it's obvious which one's cooler!" he said.

I smiled a little at his analogy, and decided to go over to the doorway, "Hey, where're you going?" Hinata asked me.

"I'm just gonna go outside and see what's going on between those two." I said. After all, if Tsukishima-san already things I'm an eavesdropper, who am I to disappoint his expectations?

As I glanced outside though, it seemed the two were already parting ways again. Yamaguchi-san was walking back towards our gym.

"Oh! Hey, Yamaguchi-san." I called to him and he looked up to me in surprise.

"Ah, Mogami-san," he blinked. I heard someone running up behind me and Hinata appeared next to me with a ball.

"Hey, what happened to Tsukishima!?" he asked Yamaguchi-san and I nodded, curious too.

Yamaguchi-san smiled a little, "Well, apparently, the captains from Nekoma and Fukurodani got ahold of him." He answered. Hinata gasped.

"What!? He just has all the luck...!" Hinata said, jealous again.

"By the way, Hinata...? Do you see Tsukki... as a rival?" Yamaguchi-san asked.

Hinata nodded seriously, "Of course! We play the same position, and he's got all the things I don't. I _definitely won't lose to him_!" Hinata said.

* * *

Day 3 of the Training Camp rolled around and Karasuno were once again facing off against Fukurodani on the losing side. Ukai-san called for a time out and gathered everyone.

Yachi-san was shivering next to me, "That Number 4 player of theirs is really intense again today too..." she said, glancing over to said silver-black haired Ace who was laughing and chatting with his team-mates, totally at ease.

"Even if you can't stop his spikes, you should at least get your hands on them! Touch them, slow their momentum in anyway you can! You'll have a better chance of saving them that way." He told the boys, who nodded.

"Oh, I get it! Even if you can't stop the spike, you can reduce it's strength, right?" Yachi-san asked.

Shimizu-senpai nodded, "Yes, blocking comes in two basic varieties. There's the soft block where you touch the ball with your hands as it goes backwards, to make it easier to receive." She said, and looked to me.

I nodded, "And there's also a Kill Block where you shut the ball out completely, sending it down on the opponents side." I added.

"K-Kill... is that a murder kind of kill...?" Yachi-san shivered. Shimizu-senpai smirked.

"Bingo." She said, scaring the poor girl.

"So, we shouldn't stop them then." Tsukishima-san spoke up, and we looked at him surprised.

"Well... Yeah? If we could knock'em straight down, nothing would be better, but..." Ukai-san said, smiling through his surprise. Tsukishima-san just wordlessly nodded, looking strangely serious.

I couldn't take my eyes off him, as they got back into position to resume the match.

Immediately, the ball was going to Fukurodani's Ace, and I kept watching as Tsukishima-san, out-of-character, seemed to go straight for the defensive against the Ace's powerful strike.

He leapt up, his arms spread, and curved them over the net skillfully; I gasped, watching as the two-toned Ace seemed to falter and hit the ball lighter than usual.

"It's a feint!" I heard Yamaguchi-san and Suga-san call out.

It was so surprising that Nishinoya-san couldn't dive to receive it in time.

"Woooaah! I was absolutely certain he was going to slam it just now! I'd have never thought he could do a feint! That's a nationals level Ace for you!" Takeda-sensei gasped, amazed.

Over on Fukurodani's side of the court, I saw Akaashi-san turn to their Ace to speak, "Bokuto-san, you were running away just now, weren't you?" he asked, and Bokuto-san flinched.

"I DIDN'T RUN AWAY, I DODGED! AND QUITE WELL, TOO!" he snapped, but it didn't look like any of his teammates were buying it. He just turned to look at Tsukishima-san, and smirked. Everyone's eyes had moved to Tsukishima-san in fact.

After all, from everything we'd seen from Tsukishima-san so far, it was a little out of character for him to do this.

But Tsukishima-san wasn't looking back at Bokuto-san at all. In fact, he'd turned to give some kind of defiant stare to Hinata.

"Ah... It's like the Sun & the Moon." Yachi-san commented next to me.

I smiled at the analogy - it did make sense. I wondered what would come of this newly revealed rivalry.

* * *

As the day went on, Karasuno started slowly improving. Sure, we hadn't actually won any matches today, but with each match, the point difference became smaller and smaller.

At first, we had been worried about Tsukishima-san, and how he only seemed to put in the bare minimum of effort, but he'd slowly been getting more and more willing to try harder. Of course, he kept his aloof attitude even when exhausted.

And not only that, but Kageyama-kun's tosses to Hinata while the latter kept his eyes open were becoming closer to being in synch. They were almost there, so if only they could just bridge the gap.

It'd be great if before the week is up, we could see Kageyama-kun and Hinata's attacks synch up.

I get the feeling that the team's attacking power would become even stronger than ever if we could do that.

"Center!" Hinata called out as Tanaka-senpai went to receive a spike from Nekoma, whom they were currently playing against.

"The last hit's all yours, Hinata!" Tanaka-senpai said, sending the ball Hinata's way.

Hinata went to try and send it back over, only to be blocked by Haiba-kun, "My bad, it's too close to the net!" Tanaka-senpai called as Haiba-kun forced the ball back to our side; Hinata didn't have the strength to stop the tall half-Russian boy.

"Dammit!" Hinata snapped, and leaned over, balancing his hands on his kneecaps; he gritted his teeth and scowled as he breathed heavily out through his nose.

He was really frustrated...

I watched with a frown, my hands clenched around my water bottle. It was steadily getting hotter, and I had no idea how he was even coping with the heat from exertion along with all this exercise. The sweat was pouring off of all of the guys here today.

The game continued on, and after Nishinoya-senpai sent the ball back up, Hinata went in for the spike again.

The ball was slightly short, coming from Kageyama-kun, but Hinata managed to save it and scored a point. I let out a relieved sigh, but Hinata didn't seem pleased by the point he scored.

"Oi!" he turned to yell at Kageyama, and I widened my eyes, "You did a shoddy job just now, didn't you!?" he snapped.

"Sh-Shoyo-kun...!?" I gasped, shocked.

"...A shoddy...job...? Me? In volleyball?" Kageyama-kun repeated, and glared, "I dare you to say that again..." he said tensely, grabbing Hinata's shirt.

"C'mon now..." Daichi-senpai said in warning.

"S-Sorry, we'd like a time out, please...!" Takeda-sensei called out, and a time-out was allowed.

"That just now... wasn't the _falling_ toss at all!" Hinata said and Kageyama-kun flinched, surprised.

"Er, it wasn't?" Yamaguchi-san blinked.

"No idea... Must be his animal intuition or something..." Tsukishima-san shrugged.

"Is that true...?" Takeda-sensei asked Ukai-san.

"Well... I kinda feel like now that he mentions it, that might be the case. What Kageyama is trying to do is a toss that 'falls' around Hinata's highest point. Think of it as a toss that momentarily comes to a stop at the highest point. In Kageyama's case, that stop is extremely precise, so unless he is dead-on in tossing it to Hinata's highest point, it will miss instantly. Most likely, the toss just now, which should have been the falling toss he's been using, instead simply curved." Ukai-san explained, and then paused, as if he realised something,

"Hinata's spikes have been going smoothly for some time now. For a spiker, that would be incredibly stressful. Kageyama probably felt unconsciously apprehensive that Hinata's abilities would drop as a result of that stress." Ukai-san added.

Huh... I had no idea about any of this.

Now that I think of it, I hadn't really been paying too much attention to the individual training Kageyama-kun's been doing. Was this the new technique Suga-senpai had mentioned to me before the trip...?

I glanced over at Kageyama-kun, to see he'd gotten awfully pale, and looked shocked.

"That toss just now isn't what I want!" Hinata yelled again, as Tanaka-senpai pulled him away.

"Just give it a rest already!" Tanaka-senpai told the boy.

"Anyway, let's keep that quick strike out of matches until the precision improves. You remember what my gramps told you about tempos, right?" Ukai-san turned to Hinata, who nodded, "Use the first tempo quick strike you practiced there. That's the one you guys call the Normal Quick." He said, and turned to Kageyama-kun, "Hinata will be strictly first tempo, okay?" he said and Kageyama-kun nodded.

"Strictly...?" Hinata asked.

"I've already explained this to Kageyama, but I have one more thing to teach you guys about your quick's and first tempo." Ukai-san added.

He pulled them aside to talk just then, and I didn't get to hear the rest. The rest of the day went on like this, whatever was left of it. Towards the end of the day, I thought about what I could do with my time. So far I'd just been helping the guys, with usual managerial duties and motivating words, etc.

I thought back to the other night, and Hinata's suggestion that I ask for tips from the other team's Setters... that could work. I could get Michiko to put a good word or two in for me, at least in Kozume-san's case.

With that plan of action in mind, I went to Michiko and asked her about it.

"Hmm... well, I suppose I could ask Kozume-senpai about it... but I think he'd probably not be too into doing extra practice." Michiko said, humming thoughtfully.

"So it's no good?" I asked; I felt a little disappointed.

I suddenly felt a weight on my shoulder, and yelped, turning to see that Kuroo-san had joined us, clapping a hand down on my shoulders;

"Yeah, unfortunately, that guy already has a date with Monster Hunter tonight, so I doubt he'd change his mind. He seemed pretty excited when practice ended and he's already left." He explained.

I sighed, and then blinked, "Oh, um, then...!" I said nervously.

Kuroo-san smirked and tilted his head, leaning in, "Yeeees~?" he drawled.

"You're doing extra practice with Tsukishima-san, and Fukurodani's Ace and Setter, right?" I asked, feeling nervous under Kuroo-san's stare.

"I am." Kuroo-san nodded in agreement.

"W-Would it be alright if I observed...? And would Akaashi-san mind if I asked him questions about Setting...?" I asked, and glanced at Michiko, who just grinned and gave me a thumbs up.

"Hmmm," Kuroo-san brought his hand to his chin in thought, glancing away to think about it. Michiko rolled her eyes and jabbed him in the side with her elbow, to which he flinched, "Ouch! What was that for!?" he complained.

"Quit teasing her and help her out like you were going to!" Michiko scolded him.

Kuroo-san sighed, giving her a look as he rubbed his aching side, before turning to me and giving me a smile, "I think Akaashi would be happy to talk with you about it. C'mon, I was just gonna meet up with those guys," he said, gesturing to the door.

I nodded, "Thank you very much, Kuroo-san, this is so nice of you...!" I said, smiling as I went to follow him.

"Well, it's nothing. After all, I've always been this nice." He said easily.

* * *

When I entered the 3rd Gym alongside Kuroo-san, Tsukishima-san and Fukurodani's Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san were already there, setting up a net.

Tsukishima-san blinked, caught off guard to see me there, "Huh? What are you doing here? Eavesdropping again?" he asked.

"I'm not-!" I was cut off by Kuroo-san.

"Hey, come on now Megane-kun!" he said.

"That's not my name." Tsukishima-san glared at Kuroo-san.

Kuroo-san, undeterred, continued, "That's no way to talk to a lady – calling her an eavesdropper. She's here by my invitation today, to observe after all." He said, and turned to his Fukurodani friends, "Akaashi, she also wanted to ask advice on Setting, so maybe later you could talk to her?" he added.

At this, Akaashi-san focused his attention on me, with his sharp, gray eyes. He gave me a thoughtful look, before nodding.

"Of course. But who is she?" he asked.

Bokuto-san approached curiously, stopping by Tsukishima-san's side, "Isn't she one of your managers?" he asked.

Tsukishima-san gave a half-shrug, half-nod in response.

"I'm Mogami Moeka, a first year manager for the boys' team for this year! But I'll be switching to the girls' team and getting back into competitive volleyball next year, which is why I want to get advice on my Setting." I explained to the two of them, and a look of realisation flashed across Akaashi-san's eyes.

"Ah. You're the friend of Ayasato-san." He remarked, and I nodded, "She talks about you, sometimes, and about your competitive days in middle school. It's nice to meet you." He said.

"It's nice to meet you too, Akaashi-san." I nodded again, smiling to him.

"S'nice to meet you, Mogami-chan! I'm Bokuto Kou—" he paused, noticing something behind me, "—tarou... Oh! Did you bring someone with you this time?" he asked Tsukishima-san, and both Tsukishima-san and I turned to look at the doorway.

"Shoyo-kun...!" I gasped, spotting Hinata peering in through the gym doors, unsure of whether to enter or not.

"...What happened to your 'partner'?" Tsukishima-san asked him.

"Kageyama's practicing on his own again! I tried to get Kenma to toss for me but he ran off after 5 of them to play something called Monster Fighter!" Hinata explained.

"It's impressive you even got 5 out of him. And its Monster Hunter by the way." Kuroo-san commented.

"So anyway...! Could I—" Hinata began as some thundering footsteps heading this way came to my attention. And then all of a sudden, the tall half-Russian, Haiba-kun appeared at the doorway, excited like a puppy.

"—Could I please join in too!?" Haiba-kun asked excitedly alongside Hinata, their loud voices echoing through the gymnasium.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Sorry for the wait! I was suffering RSI (repetitive strain injury) in both my hands, which made it hard to write! I've still got it a little. I've been writing this bit by bit in small chunks, and it's finally done!**

 **I got to introduce Bokuto and Akaashi a bit more in this, though they didn't get too much screen time. There'll be a bit more of it in the next chapter.**

 **Reviews are love~ Thank you for your support so far!**

 **On a side note, I can't believe it's almost my birthday! I'll be turning 27 on July 16th! -cue gasps from you readers- xD**


	43. 43 Our Friendly Rivals

**Disclaimer** : I do not own _Haikyuu_. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 43 – Our Friendly Rivals**

 _ **Last time, on Ball of Sunshine...**_

" _Oh! Did you bring someone with you this time?" Bokuto asked Tsukishima-san, and both Tsukishima-san and I turned to look at the doorway._

" _Shoyo-kun...!" I gasped, spotting Hinata peering in through the gym doors, unsure of whether to enter or not._

" _...What happened to your 'partner'?" Tsukishima-san asked him._

" _Kageyama is practicing on his own again! I tried to get Kenma to toss for me but he ran off after 5 of them to play something called Monster Fighter!" Hinata explained._

" _It's impressive you even got 5 out of him. And its Monster Hunter by the way." Kuroo-san commented._

" _So anyway...! Could I—" Hinata began as some thundering footsteps heading this way came to my attention. And then all of a sudden, the tall half-Russian, Haiba-kun appeared at the doorway, excited like a puppy._

"— _Could I please join in too!?" Haiba-kun asked excitedly alongside Hinata, their loud voices echoing through the gymnasium._

"Weren't you doing receives with Yaku?" Kuroo-san asked Haiba-kun with a drawl and the tall boy saluted.

"I did a really good job today, so he let me out early!" he chirped.

"Did he now...? You didn't just run off, right?" Kuroo-san asked.

"No way! I wouldn't do that!" Haiba-kun gasped, and Kuroo-san sighed and shrugged.

"Well, whatever. Sooo... Since we've got just enough people, let's play a 3-on-3 match." Kuroo-san announced, and glanced to me, "You can just stand off to the side, right?" he asked me and I nodded in agreement, getting off the court.

I watched as they separated themselves into two teams of three. On one team, Tsukishima-san, Kuroo-san and Haiba-kun, and on the other team were Shoyo-kun, Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san.

"Isn't this set-up incredibly unbalanced...?" Akaashi-san said, suspicious. Kuroo-san laughed,

"It's fine, isn't it?! Let's do what hasn't been possible during the day time!" he said cheerily but Akaashi-san didn't look convinced. At the same time, he seemed like he had to put up with things similar to this quite regularly.

Meanwhile, Bokuto-san and Shoyo-kun seemed perfectly happy with the teams. Everyone quickly got into positions and they began their little practice match.

I just watched from the side, interested to see how it would go.

* * *

"Lev! I keep telling you to watch the toss before you jump! Use read blocking!" Kuroo-san reprimanded his teammate loudly.

"O-Oh... Right!" Haiba-kun gasped, having jumped to block Shoyo-kun mistakenly, while Akaashi-san sent his toss in Bokuto-san's direction. Bokuto-san easily got the ball through, as Tsukishima-san's marking was not quick enough to stop it.

Kuroo-san managed to save it just in time though.

"Wow, he got it!" Shoyo-kun gasped, amazed.

Kuroo-san turned to Tsukishima-san, "Hey, don't just jump sideways and block the best you can! When you can make it, come to a full stop and jump straight up." He explained.

"Got it." Tsukishima-san nodded.

"It came back over! Free ball!" Shoyo-kun received the ball quite well and sent it over to Akaashi-san, who tossed the ball back for him. This time, Tsukishima-san did as Kuroo-san explained, and easily blocked Shoyo-kun's spike.

"Oh..." I murmured, my eyes widening. Tsukishima-san's more into it than usual.

It was then that my stomach started gurgling ominously and I looked down to my stomach as I patted it consciously.

"Uh-oh, you sound hungry~" A voice suddenly came beside me and I jumped in surprise, turning to see that it was Shirofuku-san that had spoken. She was poking her head into the gym, smiling, "I thought I should let these guys know that if they don't hurry it up, you'll all miss the chance for dinner." She said to me and I gasped.

"Oh! Sorry, I'll let them know...!" I said to Shirofuku-san who nodded and waved goodbye before ducking out of the gym again.

I turned to the boys, "Um, everyone! We should pack up for the night, and go eat dinner! They'll close up the cafeteria soon...!" I called to them and they turned to me surprise.

"Oh, right! It's that late already, huh!" Kuroo-san nodded, "Okay, let's pack up fast! It'll get done in no time if we all do it together." He said to the others, who nodded. I went to pitch in too.

"Ah, Mogami-san," Akaashi-san spoke up from nearby, and I turned to him, "If you wanted to talk we can meet up after dinner if you like." He suggested.

I nodded, "Yeah, that'd be great, thank you!" I said with a smile.

* * *

After dinner was finishing up for the evening, I waved off Michiko, Shimizu-senpai and Yachi-san saying that I'd catch up with them. After all, I'd agreed to meeting up with Akaashi-san to talk.

I met him outside at one of the benches by the vending machine, and he looked up from choosing a drink with a nod.

"Hello, Mogami-san. Did you want anything from here?" he asked me as I approached. I shook my head, waving my hands;

"You don't need to get me anything...!" I said and he hummed, before pressing a button and having a drink tumble down. He brought it out and held it out to me. He didn't seem like he was going to budge in his decision, so I hesitantly took it, "Th-thank you," I said and he nodded.

After getting another drink of his own he went to the bench and sat, then patted the space next to him.

I quickly and quietly took my seat next to him, and we fell into an awkward silence, the sounds of crickets chirping surrounding us, and the sounds of the others far off but still present.

I glanced sideways as I sipped my canned iced tea, watching Akaashi-san, who kept his eyes trained upwards to the skies.

There were only a few stars visible, the rest obscured by clouds.

It was understandable that we'd fall into such an awkward silence, because it seemed that Akaashi-san was a quiet person too. I didn't know how to start off the conversation, so I fumbled over my own thoughts, trying to come up with _something_.

But Akaashi-san beat me to it; "Tell me about how you usually set the ball up." He suggested, "Any details you can think of. I'll see if there's anything I can suggest after that," he added.

I widened my eyes, and smiled, nodding gratefully. I then went on to explain how I currently did things, being sure to be as detailed as I could. Akaashi-san just sat quietly, nodding, and listening intently without interrupting. When I was finished, I let out a slightly shaky sigh, nervous to hear his response.

He looked thoughtful, not looking at anything in particular, and I let him.

From what I'd seen so far at these camps, Akaashi-san was definitely a great Setter, who was able to guide and support his team really efficiently. He also knew how to deal with such an outgoing person as Bokuto-san. That's something I'd struggled with back in middle school; shying away from any particularly loud people that I didn't know very well.

It seemed like Michiko and Hinata were the exceptions to that rule, strangely enough. I wonder if it had been because I'd subconsciously liked Hinata, even back then...?

Come to think of it, I don't really remember when I started liking Hinata as more than a friend in the first place...

"...gami-san... Mogami-san..." Akaashi-san's voice came back to me, and I finally noticed him waving his hand in front of me.

I jumped, and blushed, embarrassed to have been caught zoning out. I turned to him, "I-I'm sorry, Akaashi-san...! I didn't mean to ignore you...!" I apologised to him.

He stared me down for a moment, and to be honest it was kind of unnerving.

When he was done with that, he shook his head, "No, it's fine. It is getting pretty late after all, and it's been a busy day again. I'm feeling tired too. We can head back now, if you like," he said, getting up, "It'll give me more time to think on some good pointers for you. I'll probably ask the guys on my team what they think too." He said, probably after having noticed my worried expression.

I got up, feeling a little disappointed in myself. But like Akaashi-san said, more time to think about it could provide a better outcome.

"...Okay," I finally agreed, "Thank you again for this, Akaashi-san!" I nodded to him.

I saw the very slightest upturn of his lips, before it disappeared as fast as it came, "No problem. I'll walk you half the way to your room," he said. I nodded in agreement, and we started on our way to turn in for the night in our separate rooms.

* * *

The next day after the main practice matches were finished and others were settling down to rest their weary muscles; I was putting the volleyballs back into their basket when someone approached me from behind.

"Mogami-san," the calm voice spoke and I turned around to see Akaashi-san standing there, with a volleyball at hand; he handed it to me, "Here. Thanks for your hard work." He said.

I nodded, "Thank you!" I said, putting the volleyball away.

"The Third Gymnasium group were just heading over if you want to come. I have a few notes on how to improve your Setting as well." He said.

"Oh! Thank you very much! I'll come!" I nodded, and he nodded wordlessly.

I followed him to the Third Gymnasium, where Tsukishima-san, Kuroo-san, Haiba-kun, Bokuto-san and Hinata were already waiting.

Akaashi-san went over to his bag and returned with a small note, which he offered to me.

"From what you told me last night," he began as I peered down at the bullet-point list, "You said that all the girls on your middle school team were pretty energetic, and tended to prefer tosses that were similar, apart from your Ace. I think it would be useful to try tossing to a more diverse range of Spikers with different styles. After all, there's no guarantee that the girls at Karasuno will be the same and you need to be prepared for that." He explained and I nodded, keen to absorb any kind of advice he could give.

"Another thing that I find important is to get to know your Spikers likes and dislikes, and habits and triggers. Be observant of how well they're doing at that particular time. If they're not looking focused or seem flustered, it would be a bad idea to send the ball to them. Or, you might find that they perform better when they're worked up... It's something that I have to deal with a lot, with such an emotional Ace." He added, and I kept nodding.

This was all very useful. I felt grateful to Akaashi-san, and to Kuroo-san who suggested it in the first place. It would definitely give me a lot to think of but I was willing to try, to become a better Setter...!

It was then that out of the corner of my eye I noticed Bokuto-san and Kuroo-san outright staring at us and I jumped in surprise; this in turn, caught Akaashi-san's attention, and he turned to face the three of them.

Akaashi-san raised an eyebrow, "What are you staring at?" he asked.

Kuroo-san seemed to snap out of it a little bit, and awkwardly rubbed his neck, "Well, it's just that..." he averted his eye.

"Akaaashi! That's the most I've ever heard you speak in one go!" Bokuto-san hooted, sounding amazed.

With that remark, Akaashi-san neutral expression became very flat, "Bokuto-san..." he sounded faintly annoyed, but buried it well.

"But hey, that's great isn't it Mogami-chan...!? I told you, it was a good idea to talk about things with Akaashi." Kuroo-san interjected.

I blinked, and smiled, nodding, "It was! Thank you very much for referring me, Kuroo-san!" I said, giving a grateful bow.

Kuroo-san waved his hand, seeming modest, "I'm glad it worked out for you. And I hope you'll take Akaashi-san's advice to heart. He takes people who are serious about improving seriously, after all." He said.

"I will, thank you!" I nodded, and turned to Akaashi-san, "Thank you very much, Akaashi-san!" I thanked him properly too, with a bow.

"You're welcome." He nodded.

"Ooh, ooh! I have an idea!" Haiba-kun said, walking over with an excited smile, "Why doesn't she try out different Spikers' styles while she's here? Like, she could toss for me, or some of the others here!" he suggested.

Kuroo-san raised his eyebrows, "I can't believe you had a good idea..." he said, seeming pleasantly surprised, but still teasing.

"Wha!? Kuroo-senpai...!" Haiba-san seemed shocked.

Kuroo-san turned to me, "So how about it? Wanna give it a go? Only for a little while, cause we're gonna do another short 3-v-3 tonight too." He suggested to me.

I widened my eyes, and nodded enthusiastically, "If that's okay, then please!" I agreed.

It seemed like many opportunities were falling into my lap, and all thanks to Kuroo-san. He really was a nice guy, after all!

I wasn't going to let these opportunities slip through my fingers - that was for sure.

* * *

"Nice serve!"

"Hogyaa-!" Hinata gasped, receiving the ball and sending it towards Akaashi-san, who sent it up.

"Sorry, it's a bit low...!" Akaashi-san called out as Bokuto-san went in to spike and I watched from the side. Even though he said it's a bit low, Akaashi-san's tosses are really good, from what I can tell...!

"Hedge him in! Widen your blocking surface area!" Kuroo-san called, and all three, Tsukishima-san, Haiba-kun and Kuroo-san, jumped at the same time to block Bokuto-san's spike.

"Dang you're just as tall as ever! Even though you're just a first year!" Bokuto-san said, and hit it off Haiba-kun's hand on purpose, sending it back to his own side, "Once more! Send me a good toss, Akaashi!" he called to his Setter.

Wordlessly, Akaashi-san did so, and this time, Bokuto-san got his spike through, scoring a point. Nice move!

"There it issss! Hey, hey, heeeey!" Bokuto-san cheered, clenching his fist.

"Th- That just now! Was it on purpose!? The thing where you lightly hit the blocker's hand!" Hinata asked enthusiastically, approaching Bokuto-san.

"Ooh! You mean tipping into the block!" Bokuto-san grinned.

Hinata seemed really impressed, "Tipping into the block...! So coooool!" he cried.

"R-Really?! You think so?!" Bokuto-san rubbed the back of his head a little bashfully as though he was a modest person, but it was clear he was glowing under the praise.

"When you're in a position where the blockers will catch you for sure if you hit then, you purposely hit the ball to bounce back off the blocker and get to redo the attack one more time!" Bokuto-san then went on to explain.

"Woaaah!" Hinata was lapping it up.

"Well, there are plenty of times when it fails and the ball's knocked down though..." Bokuto-san added as an afterthought, "Spiking isn't just about slamming the ball to the floor. If you keep your cool, you'll be able to see what action to take," he finished

I just watched from the side, smiling, as they continued to play. It wasn't just Hinata, I knew I could learn a lot from watching this from the side. We sure have some nice, friendly rivals in Nekoma and Fukurodani.

I never thought that someone who was technically our rival could be so willing to help us improve. But I was so glad that they were.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a thud, and Hinata crying out in pain from the landing. My eyes shot to him, alarmed.

From the other side of the net, Kuroo-san spoke; "Did you... aim for that to happen just now?! That was a magnificent block out," he said, shocked.

Huh?! Hinata did that? I missed it...!

"E-Err, I did aim for the tip of Lev's hand but it was just a fluke that it hit. I can't pull of something that precise..." Hinata said, actually modest.

Bokuto-san grabbed Hinata's head and started messing his hair up, looking quite excited, "You were up against three 190cm blockers, y'know!? And with such a hard-to-hit toss on top of that! Well done! I'm impressed!" he said loudly, "To this tiny fighter who faces off against a 2-metre high wall, I shall...teach you a special finishing move!" Bokuto-san declared.

Hinata's cheeks turned red, and he looked really excited, and also a little touched, "Uwaaah, thank you Bokuto-san!" he cried.

"Ahaha! Of course!"

* * *

The final day of the training camp was finally upon us, and although Karasuno had failed to win any matches at all this entire time, I feel like it was an invaluable experience. This camp definitely wasn't a waste of time, I feel, because everyone learnt a lot from facing off against strong Tokyo teams like Fukurodani, Nekoma, Shinzen and Ubugawa.

The only thing left now was to have Kageyama-kun and Hinata come back together with all that they've learned while separating to practice individually. I hadn't seen a lot of what Kageyama-kun had been doing, but Yachi-san had been helping him out and apparently it's probably something good, though she didn't quite know how to describe it...

Right now, I was handing towels to the boys to wipe of their sweat after another drill of flying falls.

"Dammit!" Tanaka-senpai grunted, "Are we gonna keep losing, to the very end...?!" he said through gasps of air, as the other boys panted along with him. Daichi-senpai approached us, looking determined.

"You guys will work hard...and pull through this..." he said and I raised my eyebrows curiously.

"...? Daichi-san...?" Tanaka-senpai seemed confused.

"This is... something I happened to overhear, so I figured I should stay quiet about it, but..." Daichi-senpai trailed off.

"Wh-what is it...?!" Tanaka-senpai asked, getting up.

"When all of these practice matches are over, apparently the coaches are gonna treat us all to a barbeque..." Daichi-senpai revealed... and was he drooling!?

"BBQ?!" Tanaka-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai and Hinata all chorused, shocked, and they promptly started salivating... Ew...

I shook my head, and went to hand some towels to the others as well.

' _Huh... I haven't had barbeque in a while... is it alright for me to get a little excited too...?_ '

In a little while, Ukai-san called the team over and I ambled over alongside Yachi-san, "Alright, you lot! For now, you'll be doing something new. Get a god feeling for scoring, even if just once," he told the boys, and they agreed, "And I say this every time, but don't let Fukurodani's number 4 have an easy time hitting the ball," he added and they all nodded again.

It was the final match of the entire camp now, and it was against Fukurodani of all teams... they'd won the most matches out of all of them during the camp so it was no joke that it'd be very difficult to win, especially as the team currently was.

"In the long run, penalties have taken up a lot of your time during this training camp, but... compared to the beginning of the trip, all of you have changed in some way. So, let's have a feel-good win this round and chow down on some delicious meat!" Ukai-san finished with a smile, and the boys wholeheartedly agreed to that notion.

And with that pep talk finished and the incentive placed, Karasuno geared up for the final match against Fukurodani Academy!

* * *

 **onigiriri: Hi, I'm sorry for the super-mega-long wait! I was diagnosed with anxiety mid-July and was suffering frequent, really bad panic attacks. It took me a long time to get over them, but now I have the medication and dosage that helps me, and it seems to have calmed down. That said, I'm really out-of-practice for writing this so I'm not sure if this is up to the same quality as previous chapters, but I wanted to get something out for you nonetheless.**

 **Thanks for sticking around...! I love you guys~**


	44. 44 Conditional Confession

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 44 – Conditional Confession**

The final practice match of the training camp against Fukurodani Academy started with Karasuno's serve; Asahi-senpai was responsible for this serve.

It bounced back up off the forearms of one of Fukurodani's players, and went to Akaashi-san, "Bokuto-san!" he called, setting up the toss.

"Alright!" Bokuto-san agreed, getting into position to run up.

"Left, it's Number 4!" Daichi-senpai said, and Kageyama-kun and Tsukishima-san went to block Bokuto-san.

Bokuto-san's spike was shut out by a tight defense from Kageyama-kun, Tsukishima-san and Tanaka-senpai, and I was about to cheer, until I noticed which direction the ball was flying.

It was out of bounds... so Fukurodani got their point anyway.

Luckily, Karasuno followed up by getting a lucky point of their own when Fukurodani's serve flew out of bounds.

Nishinoya-senpai switched out, letting Shoyo-kun get on the court, as Tsukishima-san prepared his serve.

Tsukishima-san's serve was caught by Fukurodani, and Akaashi-san once again sent the ball to Bokuto-san who promptly scored another point.

"Yes!" Bokuto-san cheered as he was praised by his teammates for his spike.

In the next play, Nishinoya-senpai was back on the court, so he managed to receive the next ball, sending it up for Kageyama-kun to toss.

The ball was sent to Shoyo-kun, who got into position, and jumped. And I'd just been thinking he was just going to spike as usual, but what he did surprised us all. He hit the ball softly, sending it floating over the fingertips of Fukurodani's block.

"Gah!" Bokuto-san flinched, realising that was the move he showed Shoyo-kun yesterday, "A feint?!" he added. Akaashi-san looked rightfully annoyed.

"You were the one who taught him that, weren't you...?" Akaashi-san commented, and his teammates all glared at Bokuto-san.

Kageyama-kun approached Shoyo-kun, looking shocked, but kind of annoyed to have been left out of the loop; "You used your head...? Are you feverish...?" he asked.

"You're seriously the very last person I wanna hear that from!" Shoyo-kun snapped.

Daichi-senpai grinned at them, "This trip has been practically one loss after another, but... At the very least, let's return home after snatching a set away from Fukurodani, the strongest among this training camp's members!" he said, boosting the team's morale.

They brightened up, and nodded in agreement.

Bokuto-san smiled a little, "We won't letcha get even one point more!" he said, determined.

"I don't think it's possible to prevent them from scoring even a single point though." Akaashi-san commented, stealing the Ace's thunder. The horned owl flinched.

"C-C'mon, back me up for once, Akaashi!" he whined to the dark-haired Setter, who didn't even bother rolling his eyes.

Nevertheless, the game carried on for a little while after that and Shoyo-kun had already been switched out. The points were at 06 – 05 for Fukurodani so it's not like we were far behind. The match was going well, so far!

Unfortunately, Asahi-senpai's next spike was received, so we couldn't even up the points just yet. Instead, Fukurodani got another point ahead.

"A quick from all the way over there...!" Takeda-sensei commented, amazed.

"Going and using a quick so confidently, even when the receive is somewhat disorganized, huh. Their Setter's not to shabby, either," Ukai-san nodded, watching Akaashi-san.

Fukurodani's Ace had come back to the vanguard of their rotation, so if Karasuno weren't careful, the gap in points could get even wider.

Nishinoya-senpai received the serve, and Tsukishima-san and Tanaka-senpai went to get into position.

Tsukishima-san got the toss, and got it past the first blocker, but not past the one who caught his receive.

"Good job, Saru! Send the last one over heeere!" Bokuto-san loudly called out.

"Right now, the vanguard has the highest 'wall' of our rotation." I heard Ukai-san say, as I watched the game play out. Kageyama-kun, Tsukishima-san and Asahi-senpai all jumped to block Bokuto-san's spike.

But Bokuto-san caught everyone off guard when he spiked the ball sideways, even managing to get it to land inside and score a point.

He pumped his fist enthusiastically, "Hell yeaaaah!" he cheered, pleased with himself.

"Wow...!" I gasped out before I could stop myself. _Well, he's certainly not the Ace for nothing... But he's still pretty child-like in ways_ , I thought to myself as I watched him fish for compliments from Akaashi-san energetically.

"Didja see that?! Akaashi, didja see that insane inner spike I did just now?!" he asked.

"I saw. It was impressive..." Akaashi-san calmly and quietly replied.

"It was just a fluke, though!" Bokuto-san added, and laughed obnoxiously.

Takeda-san laughed, "Fukurodani's Bokuto-kun is really a strange one," he said amicably, "He's a player you kinda wanna applaud, even though he's an opponent... It might be because you end up thinking that he's 'got mad skills'," he added.

"Yeah... He's probably the sort of player that ends up boosting the morale for both enemies and allies alike," after the next play, it seems Ukai-san's words weren't far from truth, which Takeda-san commented on.

"Everyone seems to be in good form. I guess Bokuto-kun's had an effect on them?" he wondered, then got excited when Kageyama-kun performed a dump shot, scoring a point; "Oooh, a dump shot...! Kageyama-kun's doing so well, too! And his jump serve hasn't missed today at all, either!" he complimented.

"Yup, the way he is today, it's like his head is cool and his thoughts are steady. There's something scary about it, like the calm before the storm." Ukai-san agreed, as Shoyo-kun switched in with Nishinoya-senpai again and Tsukishima-san prepared his serve.

Tsukishima-san's serve was caught again, and spiked back over to Karasuno's side, but Daichi-senpai caught it with a flying fall receive. Kageyama-kun sent the ball directly to Shoyo-kun, who spiked, getting it past Bokuto-san but ultimately being stopped from scoring by another player's receive.

But still, Shoyo-kun didn't seem ruffled by that; in face, he seemed 'in the zone.'

We got lucky and Nishinoya-senpai managed to cleanly receive the ball, sending it to Kageyama-kun again. And Shoyo-kun was already running on his way to jump, as if he'd been one step ahead of everyone else.

Shoyo-kun jumped to spike, eyes open, and as if answering some kind of request, Kageyama-kun sent the ball directly to Shoyo-kun...!

He hit it! With his eyes open!

My hands rushed up to cover my mouth as I gasped, eyes wide, watching as the ball fell to the ground, in-bounds, and it felt like the world had gone quiet, apart from the bouncing of the ball.

Slowly, Kageyama-kun and Shoyo-kun looked at each other, with wide-open eyes. And then, it the world un-muted, as the two of them began to make amazed... noises at each other.

Kageyama-kun was the first one who could form words, and grabbed Shoyo-kun's shirt, "Wait, don't screw around like that! If we're gonna do it, say so beforehand!" he complained.

"But there was this whole 'we can pull it off this time' feeling, wasn't there?! Right?!" Shoyo-kun replied, and I smiled.

Those two really have come along way. I never would never have seen them becoming such good friends last year when I first saw Kageyama-kun.

I sighed out happily, and cupped my hands at my mouth; "Shoyo-kun...! Kageyama-kun...! Nice!" I cheered to them.

They both looked over my way, Kageyama-kun still grasping the material of Shoyo-kun's jersey; they both nodded in unison.

"The first of the gears... have connected." Takeda-sensei said beside me, and I blinked, confused.

"Huh?" I asked him, and he jumped, flushing.

"A-Ah, no, don't mind me...! It's just that, the team is really coming together, isn't it Mogami-kun...?" he laughed anxiously.

I tilted my head, humming in agreement, "I agree that they're getting better and better. I hope it'll be enough to take them all the way...!" I said, turning back to watch the court.

Shoyo-kun was doing some sort of strange dance; at least, that's what I think he was doing...? He was still talking to Kageyama-kun.

"But man, that was amazing! It stopped right in front of me, y'know?! It was all like _shoom_! This time, I definitely felt it coming, but when it stops right in front of you for real, it's scary, y'know?! You really are incredible!" he babbled, excited.

Kageyama-kun seemed shocked to receive such enthusiastic praise from Shoyo-kun, and stammered shyly; "Wh...what the heck you moron! Don't say stuff like that...!"

Shoyo-kun just grinned, looking at his palm, and then clenched it into a fist, "Alright! One more time!" he cheered.

His senpai grinned, his enthusiasm infectious.

"Dammit, you're makin' me jealous! Let me score, too!" Tanaka-senpai said with a laugh.

"We're not gonna lose! Let's keep going!" Nishinoya-senpai added.

"Hey, hey, heeey! Don't get ahead of yourselves, now...!" Bokuto-san chimed in, and he and Shoyo-kun started 'oooohhhh'-ing at each other obnoxiously.

Well... it was cute, so my ears forgive them, heh.

That said, I wonder who's gonna win this set. Fukurodani are still undoubtedly one of the best teams around right now after all. Can Karasuno compare, even with this new combo attack of Shoyo-kun and Kageyama-kun's...?

"Um, Ukai-kun..." I heard Takeda-sensei speak up beside me, "I only got a glimpse of that last quick, so I can't really tell how it's different from the previous 'freak quick..." he admitted bashfully.

"The previous quick used a toss which 'passed' directly through the spot where Hinata hits it. In the new quick, the toss' force and rotation are regulated, causing it to 'fall' right around Hinata's strike zone. Due to the rotation, there's an instant when the power propelling the ball forward dies out. For just a moment, the ball hangs in midair. That 'moment' is the definitive difference between the two quicks. With it, Hinata's mid-air options increase." Ukai-san explained, and I was impressed.

Kageyama-kun came up with something that detailed...? I can't stop being blown away by all the talented Setters I've been encountering lately... I'm not saying it's disheartening. But maybe I need to work a little harder.

Hmm... Maybe I could go talk to Sasaki-san or Yui-senpai when we get back to Karasuno? It would be good to put all the advice and tips I've gotten lately into practice, after all.

I hummed to myself, and nodded resolutely, before directing my attention to the match again.

It looked like Shoyo-kun was trying to cheer up Kageyama-kun, patting him on the back, and then Kageyama-kun knocked his hand away.

"You're seriously pissing me of, dammit!" he snapped.

"Why?! What else am I supposed to say!" Shoyo-kun gasped.

"W-Well, it's not something you'd expect to go so smoothly, after all..." Asahi-senpai input.

"It's in times like these, huh?" Daichi-senpai smirked.

"When the senpai get their turn to shine!" Tanaka-senpai agreed, grinning.

I turned to check the score board to see how things were going so far, points-wise; the board read 12 – 10, to Fukurodani. We were getting to be half way through the set, now.

"One blocker!" one of Fukurodani's players called out, as another spiked the ball, it bouncing off of Shoyo-kun's arms.

Kageyama-kun was there to save the ball and send it back up, meaning he couldn't set up a toss. Their best bet was to get someone to bounce the ball back up so it would fly over to the other side again.

"I've got it!" Nishinoya-senpai called out, and I was thoroughly surprised when instead of bumping the ball back up, he instead went into a sideways jump, raising his hands to toss the ball...!

"Woaah?! A back attack from the Ace, off the Libero's toss!" one of the Fukurodani players gasped; he was as shocked as I was.

And then it landed out of bounds... I bit my lip. Darn, and it was so close, too...!

"Sorry, the toss was too short! God dammitttt!" Nishinoya-senpai cried out, falling to his knees and raising his arms dramatically.

Asahi-senpai flustered, and insisted it was fine, but Nishinoya-senpai retorted that Asahi-senpai should be honest when he sucks.

"They changed this much in just a week?! That's scary...!" the same Fukurodani player that called out commented, a hint of wonder in his voice.

I had to agree with them, but then again, everyone did say they did extra training while I stopped coming to club for a little bit.

But the surprises didn't stop there, as my other senpai proceeded to show the other fruits of their training.

"Now!" Daichi-senpai called, and multiple spikers ran up to the net at the same time to hit the ball, to throw off Fukurodani's markers, and it worked. Tanaka-senpai got a spike through...!

"Yesss! Alright!" Tanaka-senpai cheered, pleased, and then started to tear up a little, "Spiking... Great... Really... Feels..." he said emotionally.

"He's crying..." Tsukishima-san said flatly, unmoved.

"And his sentence is... kinda off, too." Asahi-senpai said.

"But I haven't had a hit that feels this incredible in ages..." Tanaka-senpai added, sincere.

The match continued, and minutes later, both teams' points were getting close to the twenties, which meant the set was almost through. Fukurodani had a single point lead with 19 points, on the cusp of breaking 20.

It was Fukurodani's serve, too; the serve was Bokuto-san's responsibility this time. And he looked super fired up.

He hit the ball hard, and it went careening straight into the net. Wow, that was... really off...

"Dammittttt! Sorry about that!" Bokuto-san hissed, copying Nishinoya-senpai from earlier in his dramatic response.

"There, there..."

"Take a second to just calm down, okay?"

With that point going to Karasuno, the points were even now. Tanaka-senpai was up to serve, but his aim was off.

Bokuto-san caught it and sent it back up, "Send it to meeee! I'll turn this around in one go!" he yelled out to Akaashi-san, who complied. His spike was blocked by Asahi-senpai and Shoyo-kun though, "One more time, Akaashi!" he called out again.

Akaashi-san, now looking a little annoyed, complied again, but this time, Bokuto-san's spike was off, and just bounced back off the net itself. Now, Karasuno was in the lead... what exactly _was_ that...?! Not that I'm displeased, but it feels like we were just given two points for free.

Bokuto-san seemed a bit off himself, and suddenly, he spoke, "Don't pass to me any more today...!" he said dramatically.

"...Understood. Please use this time to calm down." Akaashi-san agreed after a slight pause, and did it so easily that it seemed to surprise Bokuto-san a little.

Nevertheless, the match continued, and indeed, Akaashi-san didn't send the next toss in Bokuto-san's direction. Or the next, or the one after.

It went on for a little while, and Bokuto-san seemed uncharacteristically subdued throughout that period of time as his teammates handled most of the attacking and blocking. The score was currently tied at 22 so it was currently an extremely close match.

"Maybe I'm imagining it, but..." Takeda-sensei began, "Fukurodani isn't falling apart at all, are they..." he commented.

"...Nope..." Ukai-san agreed, and I had to agree as well. They certainly had great teamwork skills and each player was talented in their own right; they could easily manage without their _Ace_ of all people...!

A few more plays, and it was even more clear just how strong a team Fukurodani, where without the aid of Bokuto-san, they brought their points up to 24, the Set Point.

"...Rather than Bokuto pulling along the team, it's more like he's being pulled along by all of the other member...!" Ukai-san said, smirking.

The next point was scored by Tsukishima-san, when he shut out one of Fukurodani's spikes with an impressive block. If we could score another point in a row, we could reach a deuce, and Fukurodani will have to get 2 points ahead of Karasuno first, to win the Set.

"Come on..." I murmured, but my expression grew grim when I realised where Akaashi-san was sending the ball.

To Bokuto-san...!

If he was out of his funk, this match had ended.

* * *

As it turned out, Bokuto-san played the finishing move effectively, and Karasuno had officially not won a single match at this training camp. It's kind of disappointing, you'd think, but looking at the boys, it seemed more like it had stoked the fires of their determination.

With what I'd seen in that final match, I had hope, too.

Shoyo-kun and Kageyama-kun's new combo attack, Nishinoya-senpai's newfound Setting skills, and the technique with multiple attackers jumping at the same time... along with the experience gained by fighting tough opponents all throughout this week... It was clear that Karasuno was starting to evolve, into something great.

Now, if only they refine their new skills and get used to applying them in a match, then we may really have a chance at Inter-Highs next time...!

And now, there was something else for the boys to nurse their wounds with... the time for the anticipated barbeque had arrived!

While everyone dug in to the bountiful supply of barbeque goods, which us girls had to help prepare, I meandered around with a plate of food, looking around.

I spotted Yachi-san, looking nervous, as two or three of the really tall players from other teams crowded around her asking if she was okay, and I chuckled, thinking it a little cute, until something pointy hit my chest and I grunted in surprise.

"Whoa, hey, sorry about that—Hey, Bokuto you jerk! Don't take my meat, you bastard...!" I looked up to see Kuroo-san glaring at Bokuto-san, who had nabbed a hearty portion of meat from the grill.

"I-It's alright..." I nodded, rubbing my chest, which had been jabbed by Kuroo-san's elbow on accident.

Kuroo-san sighed, sounding frustrated, but not truly angry at his friend; he turned his head back to me

"There's way too little meat on your plate, you know. Bokuto should give you some of his; you could use some more protein if you're gonna start playing volleyball seriously," he commented, glancing at my arms.

"Eh!?" Bokuto-san flinched, having the heart to look a little guilty.

I smiled and waved my hand in a 'thanks, but no thanks' gesture, "Thank you for your concerns, but this is already my second serving. The first had more meat. Micchan saw to that." I informed Kuroo-san.

He shrugged, "Ah well, I still could go for a third helping myself. It's delicious!" Kuroo-san turned to stop Kozume-san who was trying to quietly sneak by with his PSVita, "Hey, Kenma, you too. Have some more meat!"

Kozume-san flinched ever so slightly, and looked at his friend with an annoyed expression, "I'm not hungry..." he said.

"Come on, Kenma...!" Kuroo-san kept trying, but Kozume-san continued to refuse.

I just smiled and shook my head, feeling a little fondness towards Kuroo-san, and the other people who have helped me and Karasuno during this training trip.

That reminds me; I have to say my thanks, properly, before we leave later on.

* * *

"Akaashi-san...!" I called over to the stoic Setter, jogging over to Fukurodani's group. Most of the boys looked up curiously, wondering what was going on as I came to a stop in front of Akaashi-san.

"What is it?" he asked.

I smiled at him, and gave a deep, thankful bow, "Thank you so much for the advice you gave me before. I'll be sure to put it into practice next year when I join the Karasuno Girls' team!" I thanked him.

He nodded, "It's fine. Good luck," he responded.

I stood back up straight; "Also, I heard from Michiko that you were going to see a movie with her soon. Please, take good care of my best friend and have a nice time!" I requested.

The other Fukurodani players 'eavesdropping' raised their eyebrows, surprised, and then one of them sighed and muttered, but I heard what he said anyways.

"'nd here I thought Akaashi'd bagged another one," he said, and I didn't entirely understand, but didn't question it.

Akaashi-san glared very slightly to his teammate that had said that, before turning back to me, and nodding seriously, "I promise," he said simply, but I knew I could believe in him.

I nodded, satisfied, and bowed once again, "Karasuno and I look forward to crossing paths with Fukurodani Academy again soon! Watch out, because we're gonna come back stronger than what you saw today!" I said.

"We don't doubt that," one of the boys said with a laugh and a smirk.

"See you later, Mogami!" Bokuto-san bid me farewell enthusiastically, while Akaashi-san and the others merely waved me off amicably, as I turned and made my way back to my boys, who were chatting with Nekoma's team.

As I joined them, I heard Kuroo-san speak to Daichi-senpai, "Well then... Until next time!" he said to our team's captain.

Daichi-senpai grinned competitively, "Yup. Next time," he agreed.

"Alright, everyone, it's time to get in! We need to make it back quickly!" Takeda-sensei called us all to the minibus we'd borrowed, and we all started filing into the bus.

"Moeka-chan!" I heard Michiko's voice and stopped, turning around just in time to be barreled into and brought into a tight, warm hug.

"Micchan...!" I gasped, and smiled and hugged her back.

"I'm gonna miss you! We didn't hang out nearly enough this time cause you were always with that Kuroo!" Michiko complained.

"That Kuroo..." Kuroo-san repeated, sounding offended, but Michiko decided to ignore him.

"I'm sorry, Micchan, I was preoccupied... I really feel bad about that..." I said, frowning apologetically.

She shook her head, "No, it's totally fine! It's been a while since I've seen you so inspired to improve, after all! Did Akaashi-kun managed to help you out okay?!" she asked me.

I nodded, smiling, "He was a big help. I already thanked him. And told him to take good care of you on your not-date." I said to her.

"Eh?! Y-You didn't... tell him about- did you...?!" Michiko gasped, flushing pink and looking nervous.

I shook my head, "I didn't say anything, but you should tell him if you're sure your feelings are real, Micchan," I told her.

She blushed deeper, and huffed out a breath, "You're one to talk. I don't see you confessing to Hinata!" she grumbled.

"I'm going to confess to him though." I said in response and she was startled.

She looked to me with wide eyes, "Huh? What did you say...?" she asked me, taken off guard.

I nodded, resolute, "I made the decision when we were in bed yesterday. I decided I'm going to tell Shoyo-kun how I feel if they win at regionals and qualify for Inter-High." I explained.

"So it's a conditional confession? But what if they don't make it again this year?" Michiko blinked, folding her arms and furrowing her brow.

I shook my head, "No, I know they can do it. That's why I'm putting my faith in them to let me confess to Shoyo-kun. And I'll do it. Whether it turns out Shoyo-kun and I remain as friends, or...b-become something more... Well, only time will tell." I said, smiling softly.

All was quiet for a moment, and then we were startled by the loud sound of the bus horn. I blushed and looked back to the bus, bowing apologetically; "I gotta go, Micchan! I'll call you soon!" I told her.

She nodded, "For what it's worth, all of us at Nekoma are rooting whole-heartedly for Karasuno to make it. Good luck!" she told me.

I nodded, grinning, and waved goodbye to her as I stepped on the bus. Moments later, the bus pulled away and we were on our way back to Miyagi.

* * *

 **onigiriri: Here it is! Happy 1st Birthday to "Ball of Sunshine"! I can't believe it, but 1 year ago today, on September 18th 2016, I posted the very first chapter of this story, and here we are, at 44 chapters! I can't believe the response I've received over this, it's truly amazing! Thank you so much for coming back to read my story every time, it makes me happy! There are plenty of you who are avid supporters of Hinata and Moeka becoming a couple, which I love. Thank you for loving Moeka. ^^**

 **To celebrate the 1 Year Anniversary, I'd love to hear what your favourite moment/chapter so far has been! Please!**

 **Thanks for reading, once again! Love you guys loads~ ^o^/**


	45. 45 Inspiriation to Succeed

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Shuichi, Weekly Shonen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 45 – Inspiration to Succeed**

"If we win tomorrow's preliminaries, we can advance to the representative playoffs in October," Takeda-sensei told us in the gym at practice, holding a sheet of paper with details written on them, "The eight schools that make it through this first preliminary, along with an additional eight veterans, will compete in the representative playoffs in October." He elaborated.

"We only have two matches in the first preliminary?!" Shoyo-kun asked, looking surprised.

"We made it into the best sixteen during the inter-high prelims, so, we're exempt from the first game this time around." Suga-senpai explained.

"Whoa! We're awesome!" Shoyo-kun breathed.

"The way you guys are now, you can definitely make it through11 Let's do what we always do!" Takeda-sensei enthused, and everyone let out a cheer of agreement.

I nodded and smiled. I really hoped that their dreams would come true this time.

Seeing them cry last time was really difficult...

But at the same time, I'm kinda nervous. I mean, what if they really do win? I'll have to confess to Shoyo-kun... I put it out there, with Michiko, so it's not like I can wimp out again...

I glanced to Shoyo-kun who was messing around excitedly with Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai, and felt my cheeks heat up.

I shook it off, hoping nobody noticed.

"W-We're fi-finally having an o...official match... I'm g-g-getting nervous..." I heard Yachi-san say, to my side and looked over to her and Shimizu-senpai's direction.

"This will be your first official match after all. Don't worry, Mogami-chan and I will be there for you," Shimizu-senpai said, and after a beat, added "As for me, it will be my last." She said matter-of-factly.

Oh...that's true. Shimizu-senpai is a third year after all...

"Ah, sorry, sorry, don't cry...!" Shimizu-senpai then proceeded to comfort a tearing Yachi-san.

"I...I'm not! A mosquito just flew into my eye is all...!" Yachi-san denied.

"A mosquito?!" Shimizu-senpai gasped.

I smiled a little, but it left as quickly as it came. Shimizu-senpai, Suga-senpai, Daichi-senpai and Asahi-senpai are all graduating after this year...

This is their last chance...

' _I'm sorry, that I've ended up making you cry... This could be Oikawa-senpai and the rest's last chance, to beat their long-time rival. Their last chance to go to Nationals…!_ '

Ah... that's right. It's Kindaichi-san's senpais' last chance as well. The stakes are high for both teams, but there can only be one team that gets to the finals of the preliminaries...

Sorry, Kindaichi-san. Once again, I can't choose you.

* * *

It was the first day of the preliminaries, and Karasuno's first match was against a team from Ougiminami. They were tall, intimidating, brutish looking guys, and they kept giving the stink-eye to Tanaka-senpai, who of course threw a stink eye of his own right by him.

The same as last time, Shimizu-senpai was down on the court alongside Ukai-san and Takeda-sensei, and I was up in the stands with our school banner. This time, however, Yachi-san joined me at my side.

"Uwaaah..." Yachi-san trembled, looking down at our opponents nervously.

I had to agree with her. They were seriously scary looking...!

"Ooh, the match between Karasuno and Ougiminami is starting," I heard some passersby behind the two of us say, sounding interested.

The referee blew his whistle, motioning for the boys on both teams to give their greetings. Both teams bowed, and greeted loudly "Let's have a good match!"

Then, both teams huddled around their coaches. Since they were close by, and Ukai-san was speaking very loudly over the cheering squads of other teams, we could hear the pep talk he was giving the boys.

"The other team's already lost its 3rd ears, but seeing as they only had one to begin with, the 2nd years have been the team's main force since the inter-high competition. This time, they passed through the first round with a straight set. Be careful of number 1 on the left." He said and the boys all nodded seriously.

"From the end of inter-high to the present, you've ben challenging things unfamiliar to you without backing down. You played practice matches against Kanto's champions, roughly 70 times in total! But your new weapons, which started out as failures, are now beginning to take shape,

So go out there and get a victory that counteracts the frustrations you've felt so far!" Takeda-sensei said inspirationally, and pumped the boys up further.

"YEAAAAH!" they all cheered, ready to get the match underway.

"Oh? So you came to watch too!" a man nearby Yachi-san and I and I turned to look without thinking. An old man was approaching the man who'd spoken, and he seemed oddly familiar for some reason, although I'd never met him before.

"Yeah." the older man said.

"It's your grandson's team after all, haha. I shouldn't be surprised." The middle-aged man said to the older man and I widened my eyes.

"That ain't why!" the old man snapped.

"Y'know, I saw their practice match with Nekoma back during Golden Week. Karasuno's pretty good this year, wouldn'tcha say?! They've got this amazing 1st year combo!" the middle-aged man chattered, and folded his arms, "Well, they've always gotten through the first round so far, so I'll bet they'll be fine today, too." He added.

"Huh. There's no such thing as a match you can definitely win or one that you definitely can't," the old man, apparently Ukai-san's father commented, "Slight differences in a team's condition, anxiety and impatience, no matter how great a championship school may be, its players are only human. There will be times when the slightest of upsets makes them fall apart... I wonder how today's Karasuno will fare...?" he added.

I wanted to say he was wrong...but I couldn't. He brought up some good points. He's definitely an experienced coach, to know about that kind of aspect...

But I still want to have faith in my boys, no matter what.

"Asahi-san, give 'em a good one!" Karasuno was up first to serve, with Asahi-senpai at the helm.

"Bring it on!" one of Ougiminami's players yelled, but their spirit was to no avail, as Asahi-senpai's serve shot past them, and landed in bounds, scoring us our first point.

"It's a no-touch ace, right from the get-go!" I said happily.

"A-Ah..." Yachi-san nervously mad a noise of agreement; she must've been startled by my loud commentary.

"...Not bad." Ukai senior said with a small grin, after glancing my way briefly before continuing with spectating the match.

The tides stayed in our favour, consistently, for quite a while, until we stood at 16 points, to Ougiminami's 11 points. A five point lead.

And then, all of a sudden, one of Ougiminami's boys tried to get a ball past Tsukishima-san's block by knocking it off to the outside of his range. But Daichi-senpai was there in a flash, and received it, sending it back up cleanly.

"That was fast! It was if he was waiting for it...!" Yachi-san gasped.

I nodded, smiling pleasedly, "Yup. Daichi-senpai's specialty is his receives," I said, feeling proud.

The ball went up from Daichi-senpai's receive and arrived in Kageyama-kun's hands; he quickly tossed it for Asahi-senpai, who got the ball past his marks, but it was caught by another player.

But we still had this point, as Tsukishima-san performed a skillful block, sending the ball to the floor on Ougiminami's side.

"I kinda get the feeling that there's much less hesitation in everyones movements, compared to before..." I heard Takeda-sensei speaking below us.

"Ah. That's because they didn't just go to the training camp to train new techniques. They went to give their all, in a series of games against champions unlike those in Kanto. Serving strength, spiking strength, attack variety, defensive power. They've gotten used to all of those at a far higher level." Ukai-san explained, and he was right. The difference in strength was apparent between Karasuno and Ougiminami.

The score stood at 13-18, to Karasuno, and it kept going like that until Karasuno had won the first set, by a wide margin.

"Woaah?! Shou-chan's amazing! He jumped sideways! But they still haven't done that weird quick strike yet!" one of the kids that seemed to have come along with Ukai-san's dad.

The other kid turned to me, looking excited, "Hey, hey, Nee-chan, you're Sho-chan's girlfriend, right?! Was Sho-chan always this amazing?" the kid asked me sincerely, as I felt my face get hotter and hotter.

"A-Ah, Mogami-san and Hinata-kun aren't d-dating..." Yachi-san helpfully provided, and it left a sour feeling in my gut.

But, hey, it was true...

"That's r-right. Shoyo-kun and I are just friends right now. But yes, he's always been pretty amazing, ever since I first met him. Lately, it seems, he's been seeming more and more amazing every time, though." I said softly, looking down over the court, observing Shoyo-kun celebrating his set-winning spike.

"Hmm..." I heard Ukai-san's dad's voice rumble, "Don't keep 'im waiting too long. That shrimp is one of the most impatient kids I've ever met." He commented.

Don't keep him waiting, he says...

"Why're you guys so spineless in volleyball, when you've got no problems picking fights?!" a voice called, from the other side of the court and I barely caught it. A guy in the stands was lecturing Ougiminami's team.

"Y-You can threaten me all you want, but I'm on the 2nd floor, so I'm not scared at all! Aahaha...!" he continued, sounding nervous; "This is your battle, so how you handle it is your business. Still, let me just say one thing! Being serious about it, being frantic about it, and giving it everything you've got... There's nothing wrong with those at all!" he said.

After that, Ougiminami's boys started talking amongst themselves for a moment, before the Number 1 suddenly yelled, "We're gonna beat Karasuno! Get through the first preliminary! And overthrow Shiratorizawa!"

Woah...

"W-Well, sounds like he's all pumped up now..." I said nervously, startled.

"Y-Y-Yeah..." Yachi-san trembled.

Nonetheless, Karasuno accepted Ougiminami's bold challenge, and the 2nd Set began. Ougiminami fought a lot harder than the first set, due to that pep talk, and the fact that should they lose this set, it would go to Karasuno, but despite their efforts, Karasuno still had a strong lead.

We were currently at 22 – 13. Three more points and Karasuno would win the game.

"See1 That Number 9-Number 10 combo is amazing, right?!" the middle-aged guy with us said to Ukai-san's dad.

"Yup. But, well... the second and third years are exceeding my expectations...! Right now, the signs pointing to Karasuno's revival include an enthusiastic advisor and the new blood putting in a real effort. But that liveliness is also due to the sheer reliability of their foundations. I saw... Karasuno practice for only a short time last year, but even though the guys had both skill and guts, in some respects, it felt like they had no self confidence. A if they had unconsciously gotten used to losing.

When the current third years first started at Karasuno, the era where Karasuno was known as a champion had become a thing of the past. There must have been a gap between what they'd admired and the reality. They really came in at the worst possible time. And that's exactly why those guys, who made it this far without growing disheartened, have a strength that isn't easily shaken." Ukai-san's dad explained.

It was so interesting to hear, about Suga-senpai, Daichi-senpai and Asahi-senpai's early years. I could certainly see the determination they had, so to hear where it had come from, and the environment in which it manifested, was inspiring.

Again and again, Karasuno keeps inspiring me, which I'm so glad for.

* * *

Ougiminami put in a good effort to stop Karasuno getting their match point, but they were clearly outmatched from the beginning.

"We've made it through the first match...!" Yachi-san cheered, beaming. I smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Way to go, Shoyo-kun..." I murmured to myself, smiling fondly as I watched the boys celebrate their first victory of the day. Hopefully, Karasuno has inspired not only me, but also Ougiminami's players, to try harder for what they want.

I stood up straight and sighed out, "Yachi-san, we should take the banner and reconvene with the boys. We've got to congratulate them too!" I said to her.

She jumped to attention, even saluting, "Y-Yes!" she agreed, and I inwardly cooed.

Yachi-san is too cute...! I'll bet Tanaka-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai and Yamaguchi-san are thrilled to have her on board, heheh.

* * *

We found them in the halls, near the court their next match would take place in. Tanaka-senpai seemed to be snacking on a banana, as he, Asahi-senpai and Shoyo-kun looked out at the current match going on. They looked nervous.

Yachi-san went over to see what they were so nervous about, and when she did, she instantly became nervous.

I went over to Shimizu-senpai's side, "What's going on?" I asked her and she turned to me.

"Ah, they're gathering intel on their next opponent, Kakugawa. Apparently, they've got a really tall player." She said. Uh-oh.

"J-Just how tall are we talking about here..." I said nervously, glancing over to the doorway.

"Hm? Don't worry, you're not the one playing against them." Shimizu-senpai said, trying to reassure me. Well, that's true. But still...!

There was a loud slap of a ball hitting the court, and Shoyo-kun and Yachi-san yelped, surprising Tsukishima-san.

"Ugyaa!" Tanaka-senpai gasped, then coughed to avoid choking on his banana.

"Urgh... a weapon... tht hight's a dangerous weapon...!" Asahi-senpai quailed.

"Looks like our next opponent's been decided." Kageyama-kun said, frowning as he munched on a banana of his own. Shoyo-kun flinched, but steeled himself, stepping back from the door.

"We've gotta beat that 2 meter giant... or we won't be able to advance to the representative battle...!" Shoyo-kun said, nervous, but determined.

Two meters... What!?

"Mogami-chan, are you alright? You look quite pale," Shimizu-senpai patted my shoulder lightly, concerned, but I barely heard her.

Two meters... is this David vs. Goliath...!

I wonder if I'll be able to confess... NO!

I slapped my cheeks to snap myself out of it, surprising Shimizu-senpai and my nearby senpai.

I promised myself to have faith in these guys no matter what. They're gonna get to the finals, make it to nationals, and I'll definitely tell Shoyo-kun how I feel!

This is no time to get nervous. I need to save that for the moment of truth.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: I feel like I've let you guys down, just a little bit. I've been so inconsistent or non-existent with my updates since mid-late July... I'm really sorry about that, honest. I'm going through a rough patch, emotionally, and with my health... and to top it all off, this chapter is shorter than usual. I just wanted to get through one match at a time for now. So, next up is vs. Kakugawa.**

 **I'll try to make the next update much sooner, so thank you very much for bearing with me! x**


	46. 46 The Forgotten Bento

**Disclaimer** : _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 46 – The Forgotten Bento**

"If we can win the next match, we'll make it through the first preliminary and continue on to the representative battle in October. We're definitely gonna make it through." Daichi-senpai said, motivating his teammates.

"Ossu...!"

Suddenly, there was a tall, dark shadow looming over Shoyo-kun and I, from behind. We turned around, and I physically jumped away.

It was the 2 Metre guy! He wore a stoic expression, as he passed by us with the rest of his teammates.

"Urk... Two metres is friggin' huge..." Shoyo-kun shivered, and I had to agree.

"201cm and 162cm, huh..." Yamaguchi-san said thoughtfully and Shoyo-kun turned to him.

"If you round up, I'm 163cm!" he said indignantly.

"201cm and 162cm... the difference is about 40cm..." Tsukishima-san added.

"Listen to me!" Shoyo-kun whined.

"F-Forty centimetres is the same size as Kitty-chan! It's not that big at all!" Yachi-san defended, and Tsukishima-san looked down to her.

"Is that supposed to be a follow-up?" he asked.

"I'm pretty sure Pikachu is also that size..." Yamaguchi-san added.

"And the Lucifer dog-fish." Tsukishima-san nodded.

"What's that?" Yamaguchi-san asked.

"A kind of shark." Tsukishima-san answered, and Yamaguchi-san and Yachi-san ooh'd and aah'd at his general knowledge.

"I... want to combine with a Lucifer dogfish..." Shoyo-kun said, surprising Kageyama-kun and I; "If I were combined with a Lucifer dogfish, I'd be 2 metre..." he added.

"What the heck are you saying." Kageyama-kun deadpanned at him, not sure what to make of what Shoyo-kun had said.

I smiled exasperatedly, and patted Shoyo-kun's shoulder, "It's not so bad, Shoyo-kun. I'm only 163cm myself." I said, trying to comfort him.

Kageyama-kun hummed, "Are you actually _scared_?" he asked Shoyo-kun as a whistle blew, signaling Karasuno to get out on the court.

"Alright, let's go everyone!" Daichi-senpai said to everyone, who nodded.

"Shoyo-kun," I grabbed Shoyo-kun's sleeve as he went and he paused, looking to me quizzically, "You're always saying that height doesn't matter. Get out there and show that giant why that's true!" I told him with a supportive smile.

He widened his eyes, his cheeks turning pink, before he furrowed his brows, his expression becoming determined; he nodded seriously, "I will! Watch me, Moeka-san!" he said.

I nodded, letting go, "I won't take my eyes off you." I promised him, and he grinned a little, heading out onto the court.

I turned to Yachi-san, who was waiting with pink cheeks as well. She seemed to look a little impressed, for some reason.

I tilted my head, "Shall we head up to the stands?" I asked her and she jumped.

"O-Oh, um, yes!" she said and followed me, all the while glancing at me shyly.

* * *

The match started with Tsukishima-san's serve, which was received easily. Kakugawa sent it straight to the 2 metre guy, who was called Hyakuzawa.

"Ooh, so they're going for a straight up head-to-head, huh." The middle-aged man from before and Ukai Senior were with us again, observing Karasuno.

"Looks like they're gonna get the ball rolling with their Ace's first hit." Ukai Senior agreed.

Kageyama-kun, Shoyo-kun and Tanaka-senpai all lined up and jumped to block, but Hyakuzawa-san went too high-up. Karasuno's blockers simply couldn't reach it.

I let out a sigh, as the ball got past our wall of blockers and scored the first point for Kakugawa.

"Blocking's meaningless against that guy," a guy walking by behind us chuckled.

"Sure is," agreed the guy's friend, and I frowned at the words. So they got the first point, sure. It's only the first point.

"Hyakuzawa!" one of the giant's teammates called out and he ran into position as Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai got the ball back up for Shoyo-kun to hit, but Hyakuzawa-san was there to stop him, like an indomitable wall.

A second point.

"Ahh.. that really is cheap," the middle-aged man by Yachi-san and sighed, "Height like that can be considered a blessing more useful than talent. No matter how skilled you may be..." he trailed off.

"As soon as something like height or strength, which could be considered simply pure power, surpasses a certain level... It becomes something, which pushes ordinary people away. In a head-to-head match, that is." Ukai Senior commented, as a lot of people started milling around behind us.

"See? Right there! 2 Metres!" one guy said.

"Holy crap, so it's true...!" another guy agreed.

"Woaaah, he's huge...!" a woman awed at Hyakuzawa-san's height.

"Hm? Well, if it isn't Mikako-sensei!" the middle-aged man with us commented and the woman greeted him back, "Mikako-sensei used to live near us, and she's the faculty advisor for the middle-school's volleyball club." He explained to Ukai Senior.

The woman, Mikako-sensei sighed, "My team is also only made up of small kids, so... I really feel for the shorter team." She said.

"You can't go underestimating 'em, Mikako-sensei!" laughed the middle-aged man, "Especially Karasuno's short Number 10. It's like tall guys mean nothing to him!" he said and I grinned to myself, nodding in agreement with what he said.

"Oh, if only." The woman laughed easily.

"Y-You don't believe me at all, do you?!" the middle-aged man gasped, but she denied it.

"Push it over, Hinata!" I heard Suga-senpai call out and turned my attention back to the court. Shoyo-kun was facing off against that giant wall of a guy again with his spike. But just as he did the previous two times, Hyakuzawa-san easily pushed the ball back to Karasuno's side, scoring another point.

That made three points that Kakugawa had taken from Karasuno, and all of them against Shoyo-kun too. I hoped he wasn't taking it too harshly... from the looks of it, instead being down about it, Shoyo-kun looked frustrated and angry.

I couldn't blame him...!

The next play was Kakugawa's serve, which landed out of bounds from the get-go, earning Karasuno a free, but empty first point.

Next up was Karasuno's first serve, delivered by Ennoshita-senpai. It was caught by Kakugawa's Captain, and was sent back into the air, "Got it!" he said.

"Hyakuzawa!" the second player to touch the ball called out, once again sending it to the giant like he was their best weapon. And not without reason, as Hyakuzawa-san got the ball past Daichi-senpai's block with ease.

Ukai-san immediately called for a time-out, with the scores sitting at 1-4 to Kakugawa.

This Hyakuzawa-san... he's really good... This match may be difficult to pull off a win in, with that guy on the other side of the court.

Everyone milling around behind to observe the match probably thought so too, but they shouldn't underestimate Karasuno, like that old guy said.

I clenched my fists, pursed my lips together determinedly, and nodded to myself.

You can do it, Karasuno! Against all odds, if they do their best with their _own_ new secret weapons, I believe they can overcome this wall.

After a few moments of time-out to regroup and strategize, the match continued on, and the ball came into Kakugawa's possession for the spike, and again, they sent it to Hyakuzawa-san.

"Uoh?!" the middle-aged man beside us gasped, "That spike receive formation...! They're set up to receive from the Cross-Court side!" he explained, as Nishinoya-senpai loudly celebrated his successful receive.

"Oooh! It's back in the air!" I heard one guy gasp.

"That Libero's so cool!" one of the kids with us said enthusiastically. If senpai could hear this, he'd be glowing under the compliments.

The ball came to Kageyama-kun and he sent the ball to Shoyo-kun, "It's the one where he jumps diagonally!" another of the kids announced, excited. Ah, yeah, Shoyo-kun had mentioned he'd been practicing with Ukai-san's grandpa against players of all ages. These kids were probably some of them.

Shoyo-kun ended up barely getting it past a Hyakuzawa-san who barely left the ground to attempt his block. The middle-aged man beside us sighed out in relief,

"That was a close one... They just barely managed to sneak that 2nd point in there... They were able to deal with that two meter guy's attack, but I wonder what sort of offense Karasuno will go through this time..." he said.

The female teacher with us nodded, "My team also loses to tall opponents a lot... I really feel bad for them, dealing with such a gap in basic physique..." she hummed.

"It was the shorty who won out just now!" the middle-aged man snapped.

The ball went from Karasuno's side towards a player called a Minamida, who caught it and bumped it back up cleanly for their Setter. And unsurprisingly, he sent it to Hyakuzawa-san once again.

I frowned. They're relying on him a little too heavily. I know he's super tall and all, but it wouldn't hurt to diversify their plays a bit more. After all, Karasuno will strive to get used to Hyakuzawa-san's attacks.

Well, that can only be a good thing, right?

"Hell yeah!" Nishinoya-senpai cheered as he successfully stopped another spike from Hyakuzawa-san. And then, after passing the ball to Kageyama-kun, Shoyo-kun spiked the ball. And Hyakuzawa-san didn't jump; it was like he was stunned.

Those two did it again, wowing both the opposing team and everyone in the audience with their new combination attack.

Yachi-san and I glanced to each other, feeling a little smug, as people speculated on the attack around us.

"Heh. The single greatest height I this preliminary is undoubtedly 201cm. And the one who can probably give him the biggest run for his money is only 162cm tall." Ukai-san's grandfather chuckled.

* * *

"There's Number 10's Quick Strike again! How many does that make?!"

A short while later, Shoyo-kun and Kageyama-kun's combination attack was continuing to impress, and they'd scored several points with it. Karasuno's players were all pumped up, Shoyo-kun especially so.

"Uoooh! We're in peak condition! So this is what it's like, Kageyama-kun!" Shoyo-kun yelled excitedly. We could hear him, and Tanaka-senpai and Nishinoya-senpai even from this distance away from them.

But they had a right to be excited! We'd just finally overtaken Kakugawa's point lead, and the score stood at 15 -14, in Karasuno's favour.

The match continued to hop back and forth for a little while from there; from Kakugawa evening the score, to Karasuno scoring another point to rise above them again.

And now, it was Shoyo-kun's turn to serve the ball.

He managed to get the ball over with a decent serve, but Kakugawa's Hyakuzawa-san sent it straight back at Shoyo-kun with a back attack of terrifying speed. He barely managed to get it back up, falling backwards a little from the impact.

"It's coming back over! Hit it with a direct spike!" one of Kakugawa's players called out, running in.

Tsukishima-san blocked their attempt at scoring, sending the ball directly downwards at the net. I pumped my fists, smiling as I hissed a whispered 'yes!' We were consistently staying in the lead right now.

After that, Tsukishima-san even managed to score Karasuno another consecutive point, getting the team 2 points ahead of Kakugawa. One more and they'd break 20 on the first set.

It was getting to the point where it was important to focus. They managed an uncontested lead until they had 23 points, and Kakugawa's Setter pulled a sneaky dump shot and closed the gap slightly.

Karasuno still had the lead, however, and then Shoyo-kun widened the gap again, scoring the Set point. One more and the first Set would be Karasuno's!

"That Number 10 boy on Karasuno's team... How is he able to score like that, with such a physique...?" the female teacher observing asked.

"That's because he's hitting the ball from above the blockers." Ukai-san's grandfather spoke.

"Whaa?! But no matter what sort of jumping power he has, it shouldn't be any match for height, right?" the teacher asked.

"Sensei!" one of the kids asked loudly, "Is that quick strike of Sho-chan's also 1st Tempo?!" he asked Ukai-san's grandfather.

"First? Tempo?" the teacher blinked.

"If you want to know how the shorty fights against tall guys, you should understand that first, sensei." Ukai-san's grandfather chuckled.

"When the ball's tossed up high, and the spiker has plenty of time to start the approach, that's 3rd Tempo." One of the kids explained, and I decided to listen as I continued to observe the climax of the first set. Kakugawa were doing a good job trying to catch up, but it looked like Tanaka-senpai might cut off their efforts and end the Set.

"When a spiker starts the approach around the same time as the toss, that's Second Tempo." The kid continued, as Kakugawa managed to receive Tanaka-senpai's spike and send it up again.

"When the spiker goes into approach the ball early, and the toss is delivered to them directly, that's First Tempo. That's the one called a Quick." The kid continued.

"Winning out against blockers is a matter of whether you can hit the ball from a point higher than the block itself. In the battle between short stuff and that two-meter guy, the one who reaches the peak first is the victor. Strictly speaking, that quick of his isn't first tempo. When the Setter tosses the ball, the spiker has already completed the approach and launched himself into the air, making it Minus Tempo!" Ukai-san's grandfather explained clearly, and I nodded in agreement to that, though nobody noticed.

I smiled, watching as finally, Shoyo-kun scored the point that would win Karasuno the first Set. People in the stands, surprised and excited, all cheered on Shoyo-kun, and Karasuno. It seemed they'd really gotten everyone all worked up.

Kakugawa themselves looked suitably frustrated, but there was a fire in their eyes. They weren't going to give up. They probably intended to even the score in the 2nd Set.

"Still, considering how shrimpy usually practices, that Minus Tempo is still incomplete – It's more like, he hasn't come into his own. So don't follow their examples," Ukai-san's grandfather said to the kids.

"Eh? Why not?" the kid blinked up at the old man.

"That Minus Tempo seems to be an attack that's possible because they have that Setter's exemplary skills. At any rate, short stack's Minus Tempo is pretty amazing on it's own, but... He doesn't make good use of it." Ukai-san's grandfather smirked.

I tried to hide my annoyed scowl. Just how many synonyms for short is he gonna call Shoyo-kun anyway...?!

* * *

Despite how it was clear that Kakugawa was starting to fight harder and more seriously than in the First Set, the Second Set ended up with an even bigger gap once Karasuno again reached 24 points, 5 points ahead.

But Kakugawa still had an aura of determination and confidence in their skills hanging over them.

It was admirable. I want to be like that, too. But still...

"That Two Meter guy's really been getting in the zone. He doesn't let the other team's blocks stop him either. Moreover, since the blockers in Karasuno's current rotation are short, it gives Kakugawa a chance to catch up." Said a nearby observer, to his friend.

"Man, even someone who's average height looks like a midget next to that two meter giant," agreed his friend.

"The hell'd you say?!" Tanaka-senpai shouted, apparently having actually heard them.

Fired up, Karasuno continued playing against Kakugawa, equally determined to take the final point of the set quickly.

Kageyama-kun was up to Serve, and Kakugawa managed to get it back up and to their Setter. Hyakuzawa-san was already running in to try and turn the tables. Karasuno managed to stop it with a three-man soft block, making the ball go up and backwards on their side. Tanaka-senpai and Asahi-senpai both made sure it didn't hit the floor, and the ball went in the direction of Shoyo-kun's path.

Hyakuzawa-san was immediately on him and I clenched my fists, eyes peeled. This could either be it, or it could mean the match would continue for longer.

Shoyo-kun didn't disappoint, and used the same trick he did against Fukurodani Academy back at the Summer Training Camp. The ball went over Hyakuzawa-san's block after hitting his finger-tips, and hit the court on Kakugawa's side by a hair.

"Yes!" both Yachi-san and I cheered out, grabbing each other's hands in celebration, as the boys cheered amongst themselves as well. We then noticed the eyes of Ukai-san's grandfather, the kids, the middle-aged man and the female teacher, along with many other nearby spectators, and blushed deeply, letting go of each other's hands and focusing our gazes on the court again.

The first day of the preliminary matches was over, and Karasuno High School had passed through it with flying colours; they'd advance to the representative play-offs, next, and it would only get more challenging now.

I let out a relieved breath, and then, remembering my promise to myself, I pursed my lips and grabbed at my shirt, cheeks pink.

One step closer, now...

* * *

Half an hour later, everyone had packed up their things and were making their way outside to the bus, pleased with today's victory. About half-way there, Shimizu-senpai blinked, and paused in her steps as if remembering something.

Yachi-san and I stopped with her and turned in her direction; "What's the matter, senpai?" Yachi-senpai.

She gave us a reassuring smile, "It's nothing. I just had a feeling that we forgot some of our things..." she said thoughtfully.

I nodded, stepping forward, "I can run back and have a look!" I volunteered myself.

"Oh, are you sure?" Shimizu-senpai asked unsurely.

I nodded again, "It's not a problem. I'll be back before you know it!" I assured her, and dipped my head to them as a farewell, and began jogging back to the stairs, up them, and I eventually stepped out into the stands.

I looked around the area, scanning it for any sign of something of ours. I decided to walk a little bit so my eyes could cover more ground, and eventually came across what looked like either Tanaka-senpai or Asahi-senpai's bag.

I quickly picked it up and behind it, it revealed a small lunch box. And I knew exactly whose it was when I saw the cloth wrapping it up; that cloth belonged to Shoyo-kun's sister, Natsu-chan. ' _He must've borrowed it_ ,' I thought, as I picked it up as well and stood up.

As I did, I noticed a couple shadows looming over me and immediately felt a little nervous. Those were very tall shadows... I hesitantly turned around, and was met with two tall boys, looking down at me with grins on their faces.

"Well hey there. What're you doing all on your own?" the tallest one asked; he had longish shaggy brown hair. They were both wearing yellow tracksuit bottoms, and black shirts, so it was safe to assume they were both players on the same school's volleyball team.

"Did you get separated from your friends?" the shorter, but still quite tall second boy asked. He himself, had bleach-blond hair and an undercut.

"U-Uhm, no I just came back to get something a friend forgot..." I said nervously, clutching Shoyo-kun's lunch box in my hands and glancing down at it.

The first guy blinked, "Oh, wait, I recognize the logo on your jersey. Ain't you from Karasuno? That team with the midget that can jump real high?" asked the taller boy.

"Oohh, yeah, so do you know him then? He actually any good?" the undercut guy asked, interested, as he leaned in closer.

I shoved myself further back against the wall, although I didn't manage to get any farther away from the guy. They had me boxed in, since it was a dead-end one way, and they stood on my other side.

I paused; averting my eyes, I then spoke up, "Um... My friends are waiting for me so I need to get back to them now. Please let me through..." I said softly.

"Aww, c'mon don't be like that! Give us the details!" said the tallest one.

"We'll be up against those Karasuno guys next so we need all the info we can get. We'd appreciate it! We'll even walk you back!" said the undercut hairstyle.

I frowned, "Sorry, but I won't tell you anything. You'll just have to see for yourself," I said. So these guys were on the team of Karasuno's next opponent. What school was that again...?

"...I get it, no worries. You must be worried they'll overhear you talking about them, right? Just give us your number! I'll call you up later!" the bleach-blond compromised.

I shook my head wordlessly, and the guy went from cheery and grinning, to a frown. He seemed a bit annoyed, but determined still to get what he wanted out of me.

And then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, there was a blur of orange and white, and a loud shout of "HEEEYY!"

After a brief moment of confusion, I realised that it was Shoyo-kun, standing in between the two guys and myself with his arms spread out in a defensive stance. The two guys seemed surprised, and I couldn't blame them.

But at the same time, my heart warmed; skipped a beat, even. I felt my cheeks heating up too, "Shoyo-kun..." I said breathily, relieved that he'd showed up.

He reached back and grabbed my arm, "Excuse us, we'll just get going and leave quietly...!" he said, but was then bodily lifted up by his collar and pulled away from me, then deposited to the side.

"Hey, hold on, we were still talking, you know." The undercut guy said, approaching me again; "So do you have a smartphone?" he asked me and I backed away a little.

"Oh, silly me, I think I left it at home today...!" I said, glancing to Shoyo-kun. He must've seen how nervous I looked, and he raced back towards us again, putting his body between the undercut guy and I again, this time jumping up in the air... for some reason. But it certainly surprised that guy even more this time; he even took a step backwards.

"Moeka-san is our precious m-manager, and a very good f-friend of mine, so... Just back off! She said she wasn't interested!" he said shakily.

Well technically, I didn't say it, out-loud at least. I nervously shuffled, "He's right. I don't want to give you my number." I input.

But the guy seemed to have moved on from that, "Hey, on your shirt, it says Karasuno. So you were the ones who defeated that two meter giant's team, right?" he asked, smirking.

"Uhh... yeah, pretty much." Shoyo-kun nodded slowly, caught off guard.

The undercut guy sighed out dramatically, "Aww, maaan. I wanted to have some fun against them, too." He said, sounding disappointed.

"Huh? Some fun?" Shoyo-kun asked, and I was confused too, by this shift in enthusiasm.

"Matches are a totally fun pass-time, y'know." He replied.

"Oh! Did you guys make it through the preliminary?" I asked him.

"The preliminary? We don't need to play in that first one." He shrugged.

"Huh? But then you'd have to be in the Top 8 in the inter-high preliminaries." I concluded.

"Ah, yeah, top 4 I think it was," he agreed, and Shoyo-kun and I widened our eyes, "Whelp! See ya, shorty. If we end up facing off in the representative playoffs, let's get a good laugh out of it, okay?" he said, patting Shoyo-kun's head patronizingly, and then taking off with the rest of his team.

After a moment, I sighed out in relief, "Looks like he's gone." I said and Shoyo-kun turned back to me; I smiled at him gratefully, cheeks pink, "Thank you for helping me out there, Shoyo-kun," I said to him.

He blushed, "A-Ah, no problem... A-Anytime...!" he nodded, rubbing the back of his head anxiously. I just kept smiling at him. He was seriously cute...

I held out his lunchbox to him, "I found your bento. Here." I said to him and he thanked me, taking the box, "We should head back. The others might be worrying about where we are." I suggested and he nodded.

We walked towards the stairs to go rejoin the rest of them, together. I could feel Shoyo-kun's body-heat through his arm, as it rubbed lightly against mine.

To be honest, even though it's silly, it was a nice feeling. I hoped that we could become even closer soon.

Well... After these preliminaries were over, I'd know for sure.

I glanced at Shoyo-kun from the side, taking note of his vibrant ginger hair, and his almost golden-looking eyes, then turned my eyes away from him quickly, feeling flushed.

I clenched my hands around the strap of the retrieved sports back.

What kind of face will Shoyo-kun make when I tell him...?

* * *

 **Onigiriri: I'm so sorry that this took so long! I'm really struggling lately, honestly. Volleyball matches are difficult to write for me. -_-'**

 **I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter. I'll try to write another before Christmas, but just incase that doesn't happen, I'll wish you a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays right now. But that's just in case. I'll definitely _try_ to get one out.**


	47. 47 Simplicity and Fortitude

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ does not belong to me. It is property of _Shonen Jump, Shueisha_ and _Haruichi Furudate._

* * *

 **Ball of Sunshine**

 **Chapter 47: Simplicity & Fortitude.**

* * *

I raised my hands to form the triangle-shaped setting position, carefully eyeing the ball flying towards me; I quickly glanced behind me to see if Yui-senpai was moving in to spike in the correct timing, and confirmed it before flicking my eyes back to the ball nervously.

The ball made contact with my palms and I sent it backwards to Yui-senpai, as she jumped high and spiked the ball. It landed with a smack on the other side of the net.

Yui-senpai landed to the ground and let out a satisfied, happy puff of air, as I turned around to her anxiously, fiddling with my fingers.

She turned her head to me and grinned, "That was great, Moeka-chan! It came right to my hand like we've been working together for a while now!" she complimented and I flushed happily, looking away.

"It was...?" I mumbled, feeling shy under the praise. Yui-senpai emphatically nodded.

"Yeah! You must've gotten some great tips from the guys, huh!" she noted, and I agreed.

It had been a few weeks since the first rounds of qualifiers and Summer Break had come and passed. There had been a final training camp with the Tokyo group, where I'd managed to talk to Akaashi-san about Setting again; after ensuring the not-date with Micchan had gone alright, that is.

(Apparently, the date was accidentally crashed by Bokuto-san and Kuroo-san, who 'accidentally' went to the same Cinema that they did. Micchan wasn't buying it, and subsequently, the mentioned two had been receiving the cold shoulder from her.)

Karasuno's boys had only kept on improving in the time between their match with Kakugawa and now. And they had motive to. It seemed Kageyama-kun had been restless and scouted out Aoba Johsai, only to see them training with college-level volleyball teams. That tidbit got the boys especially fired up to be totally prepared.

It kinda rubbed off on me, and since the girls' team's only Setter was out sick, Yui-senpai had practically begged me to fill in. I was only too happy to oblige.

After all, I'd been planning on joining in with their sessions when I could anyways; to get used to working with the second and first year players for next year. And also, I wanted to give Shimizu-senpai more opportunities for training up Yachi-san.

"You really helped us out again, Moeka-chan. I know we didn't qualify to go any further this year, but you still..." Yui-senpai's tone went from bubbly to subdued remarkably quickly.

I flustered, worried she was upset, and tripped over my words, unsure of what to do for senpai. There was little I could say for senpai and the other third years. It truly had been their last chance after all...

Yui-senpai plastered on a bright smile, and shook her head, "No, I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry about me!" she insisted, "Anyways, we're really glad you're here. This'll be great practice for you guys, next year, if you can keep on coming when you can!" she went on to say.

I nodded, smiling reassuringly, "The boys're being really nice about it. And since Kiyoko-senpai is training up Hitoka-san up to take over for her now, I've suddenly got more free-time than usual around here. So of course, I want to spend it here when I can." I replied.

Yui-senpai nodded, looking pleased, "How're they doing by the way? Do they think they can make it all the way this time?" she asked me.

I nodded enthusiastically, "Everyone's improving so much! They've got all sorts of new tactics that they've all been working on so hard for these past few weeks. I really think they can do it, and it'll be amazing to watch...! And when they do, I'll con—" I cut myself off, and shook my head, trying to look natural.

 _That was close_ , I thought to myself, raising my head, _that could have been embarrassing...Ah._

I guess I wasn't so smooth.

"Con? You mean confess?" Sasaki-san asked, wide eyed.

"Ah, n-no that is, uh...!" I stammered, waving my hands around.

"Who is it, Moeka-chan? The setter? Or that really tall one with the glasses?" asked one of the twins;

"Oh! Or is it one of the 2nd or 3rd years!?" the second twin chimed in, and her sister turned to her.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was Sugawara-san. He's easy on the eyes." She agreed.

Mao-senpai smiled, "It's not Sawamura-san, cuz Yui-chan's already got her eyes on him~" she input and Yui-senpai blushed, slapping her arm to shush her.

I was totally too flustered to respond to them as they fired off random guesses as to who I was going to confess to, until Sasaki-san hummed thoughtfully.

"Perhaps... it's the one you're friends with? Hinata-san was his name, right?" she asked, hitting the nail on the head. My expression seemed to confirm that Sasaki-san was right to the rest of the girls, and I covered my face, sighing in embarrassment.

"I-I was gonna... try to confess if they make it to Nationals this time around, y-you see... um..." I said, shyly, slightly muffled by my palms.

The girls all proceeded to coo at me, and I felt the temperature of my face rise. Yup. Not uncovering my face any time soon...!

After a few moments, Mao-senpai approached me from behind and patted my head gently; " _Anyways,_ let's stop teasing her about it. It's about time for finishing up. We should be packing stuff away now. Moeka-chan's escorts will be here any minute after all," she said to us both, dryly.

I blushed, raising my head slowly. while the other girls giggled at the situation.

That's true... Since I started coming here every odd day, Tanaka-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai and Shoyo-kun kept showing up to pick me up from the girls' gym. It was kind of embarrassing, but in an endearing way.

I got no end to teasing from the girls for it though...

Yui-senpai clapped her hands together, "Whelp! We'd better get a move on then, girls!" she decided, "And not a word about Moeka-chan's 'plans'!" she said firmly, while smiling.

"Yes, captain!" the girls chorused in agreement, and I stuttered along with them, and we got to taking down the nets for the evening.

3... 2... 1...!

"MOEKA-SAN!" came the chorus of Tanaka-senpai, Nishinoya-senpai and Shoyo-kun, just like clockwork.

As the girls burst into another fit of giggles, I only sighed in fond exasperation, smiling.

"Hi guys! I'll be out in a few minutes." I called to them.

"Ossu!" they nodded.

Tomorrow was the first day of the second half of the qualifiers. I had total faith in these guys, that they'd make it through to the Nationals this year. But at the same time, my heart was racing.

I stole a peek at Shoyo-kun, cheeks pink, before just as quickly flicking my eyes away and busying myself.

Would I be confessing by the end of this week...? Could I even do it without making a fool of myself...?

* * *

October 25th rolled around, and Karasuno took the bus-ride to Sendai City Gymnasium to take part in the second part of the qualifiers for Nationals.

Shoyo-kun was really excited to play, so much so that he took off running ahead of us, screaming. Kageyama-kun quickly followed suit, as if it were a race.

"Man, Hinata and Kageyama really seem to act on reflex..." Yamaguchi-san noted lightly.

"They're like insects," Tsukishima-san was brutal in his statements, but it seemed to make Tanaka-senpai and Noya-senpai laugh.

"Gwahh!" I heard Shoyo-kun yelp, as he ran into those guys that were bothering me the other day, along with the rest of the team.

I grimaced, clenching at the end of my sleeves.

Suga-senpai noticed, "Are you okay?" he asked me concernedly.

"U-Uhm, yes. I'm fine..." I nodded.

"OH! Hey, it's you again, hey there! You'll tell me your number this time right!?" the bleach-blonde called over to me, waving excitedly. His friend perked up, noticing Shimizu-senpai and Yachi-san nearby who were looking on curiously, and pointed them out to the bleach-blonde guy, who perked up, eyes gleaming.

This set off Tanaka-senpai and Noya-senpai's protective instincts, and with feral growls, they jumped into action.

"Wha—Hey, stop you two!" Daichi-senpai gasped, stretching out a hand.

But instead of senpai, a girl wearing the same jersey as the other team jumped in defense of her boys.

"Please, stop that you guys! I'm so sorry for his behavior!" the girl with a brown bob said quickly, bowing in apology. Tanaka-senpai and Noya-senpai stopped in their tracks, literally.

The bleach-blonde guy relaxed, and gave a smirk, "Well then, I guess we'll see you guys in the first round," he said confidently, and headed inside the building, followed by the rest of his team.

It felt kind of anticlimactic. Not like I wanted a big stand-off or anything, though.

"Oh, so they were among the inter-high preliminaries' top four, huh..." Kageyama-kun hummed, he and Shoyo-kun rejoining us.

Shoyo-kun nodded, "You know what else, though? They're all here. Everyone." He said and I had to agree.

Aoba Johsai, Shiratorizawa, and a bunch of other talented teams; it was one hell of a gauntlet Karasuno would have to pass to get to Nationals.

"You guys can do it! Your managers have got your backs and will be cheering you on all the way!" I input, raising my voice so everyone could here.

Everyone's eyes were on me, and smiles spread across most off their faces. (Tsukishima-san turned his head away, and Kageyama-kun... tried, but it was more of a smirk than a smile).

"Message received," Daichi-senpai said, patting my head.

Suga-senpai grinned toothily, "After all, we've trained hard for this these past few months." He agreed.

"As if we can _not_ win, especially after hearing that you guys are supporting us!" Noya-senpai said, brimming with energy.

"Kaahhh, I'm excited as hell now!" Tanaka-senpai said, clenching his fists.

"Me too!" Shoyo-kun chimed, agreeing with senpai.

"Alright, you guys. If you're ready, let's head inside. Your first match is gonna be against Johzenji, who you've just met. You can't let yourself underestimate the opponent just 'cause you're all pumped up." Ukai-san advised, guiding us inside.

"OSSU!" the boys chorused in agreement.

* * *

Later on, we were in the stands, watching over Court A, which would be ours after Date Kogyo's match, the third match of the day.

"Looks like Shiratorizawa's first game is on Court A, and Seijoh's is on Court B. Oh, and the Queens are on Court C!" Suga-senpai spoke, and I perked up, my eyes shooting over towards Court C curiously.

Shoyo-kun noticed my keen interest and spoke, "Queens?" he repeated, confused.

"Oh, you haven't heard of them?" Suga-senpai blinked. I patted Shoyo-kun's shoulder,

"They've been the girls' side representative in Miyagi prefecture for a number of years running now. Niiyama Joshi Girls' School. They're the ones to beat for girls' high school volleyball if you want a shot at Nationals, and they're super tough!" I explained excitedly.

I never thought I'd get to see them in person, since until a little while ago I'd thought I'd be spending my high-school volleyball days as the boys' team manager. But since I'd be returning to competitive volleyball next year, my interest had grown as of late. I'd watched a bunch of matches online and they were no joke!

"They're like models...!" Yachi-san awed, impressed.

"Th... They look strong..." Shoyo-kun said. Tanaka-senpai seemed to perk up at it too, and leaned over, calling to them, to my surprise.

"Heeeey!" he called, and the girl with short hair at the front answered him with a harsh glare. Tanaka-senpai flinched, and shrunk back, and the girl continued on her way. Colour me intrigued...!

"D-Do you know someone on the 'Queen' team, Tanaka-san/senpai!?" both Shoyo-kun and I looked at senpai with stars in our eyes, talk over the top of each other in our excitement.

We then blushed and looked at each other awkwardly, then I looked down as Shoyo-kun coughed and covered his face slightly with a lightly clenched fist.

Tanaka-senpai blinked at the sight, looking a little strange, as if jealous, before shaking it off and laughing boisterously, "Wahaha! Pretty much! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I raised their up-and-coming Ace!" Tanaka-senpai said and Shoyo-kun and I were amazed.

"No, it's definitely an exaggeration." Suga-senpai deadpanned.

"Yeah, you said you were just on the same Junior Sports Team as kids," Daichi-senpai agreed with Suga-senpai.

I shook my head not deterred, and switched seats with Noya-senpai and sit between he and Tanaka-senpai, to learn more about this up-and-coming Ace of Niiyama Joshi, to which he happily obliged, spinning tales of his middle-school days.

I got so wrapped up in that that I forgot to actually go and watch Niiyama Joshi play... whoops.

* * *

The time came for Karasuno's first game, against Johzenji, an energetic team that got pumped up for the match by leaping into the air like excited rabbits and yelling. I sat in the stands alongside Yachi-san to observe the game.

Johzenji had decided to be the first to receive, so Asahi-senpai was up first to Serve. The starting line-up for Karasuno was the usual one; Daichi-senpai, Asahi-senpai, Tanaka-senpai, Tsukishima-san and Kageyama-kun, with Noya-senpai and Shoyo-kun as the rotating sixth member.

Those two guys from the other day were on Johzenji' starting line up, too. Bleach-blonde, despite his attitude, was apparently their captain.

The groups both had their individual pep talk huddle, and then they bowed to their opponents, starting the match up.

Asahi-senpai took position as the referee blew the whistle, signaling to go. I clenched my fists and kept my eyes trained on the match. Senpai had this...!

It bounced off Johzenji's number 7's forearms and Yachi-san and I cheered happily, until their Libero caught it and sent it to the bleach-blond haired guy;

"Last hit's yours, Terushima!" someone called out.

"Wow, they managed to keep it in play..." a boy near us said.

"Well yeah, but there isn't really anything they can do to hit the ball..." his friend added. That was true, although Terushima-san was running for the ball, it was heading right towards the stands and out of bounds.

It was super unlikely that he'd get the ball going in the right direct—

"What!?" I gasped, wide-eyed as he somehow not only hit the ball, but sent it flying over the net and letting it land in Karasuno's side of the court, by a hair.

' _How on earth did that guy manage that...?!_ ' I thought incredulously as Terushima-san and his team jumped up into the air enthusiastically.

Now, it was Johzenji's turn to serve, and Asahi-senpai was there to receive it, sending it back into the air. It travelled to Kageyama-kun who sent it over to Tanaka-senpai, while Tsukishima-san acted as a decoy, jumping up as well.

Johzenji's response was yet again, surprising; their number 3, like Noya-senpai had once done, used his foot to stop the ball from hitting the ground.

"His foot?!" Yachi-san yelped; she was just as surprised as any of us.

Johzenji got a two-point lead from Karasuno right off the bat!

Then in their next move their server promptly sent his ball into the net, scoring us a point for their flub.

They didn't seem shaken though, and continued to goof around. It was kinda unnerving.

"Man, they're just as lively whether they hit or they miss..." one of Ukai-san's friends commented, taken aback. I nodded to myself in agreement.

At that moment, as it was Tsukishima-san's serve, Noya-senpai switched out, Shoyo-kun taking his place in the formation. But the play following Tsukishima-san's serve wasn't any more in our favour, and Johzenji scored their third point.

Johzenji nearly scored a fourth point when they got a net ball that tipped over to our side; but in the nick of time, Tanaka-senpai dived to receive it and sent it back up.

"Good one, Tanaka!" Daichi-senpai called out to him.

"Oh, good one there! But there's no way Karasuno's gonna get that ball the way it's flying." The boy next to us commented.

"Yeah?! Just you watch," I mumbled, and he somehow heard me.

He turned back just in time to flinch back in surprise as the ball came towards him, but Shoyo-kun jumped up and sent it back into play out of nowhere.

"What the! He's flying?!" the boy gasped, leaning over the barricades.

"Way to go, Hinata!" Ukai-san's friend cheered, and I beamed with pride, watching down over the match.

Yachi-san jumped, "Loo—Look out! You're gonna hit the wall!" she gasped at Shoyo-kun and my smile slipped into a more subdued, exasperated one as Shoyo-kun collided with the wall... Foot first.

"Gwah!" Shoyo-kun grunted, pushing himself off the wall and rushing back to the match.

"Wha—is he Spiderman or something!?" that boy yelped again, as if he couldn't believe what he just saw.

From there, Noya-senpai caught the ball and sent it flying up again, towards the net.

Johzenji didn't have time to stop it from hitting the floor, scoring Karasuno a point.

"HOW'S THAT!?" Tanaka-senpai crowed, triumphant, though he'd had no part of that maneuver.

Now that they'd scored a point, it was Karasuno's serve and Kageyama-kun stepped up.

"Go, killer serve!" Shoyo-kun cheered, but Kageyama-kun's serve was caught by Terushima-san.

"They kept Kageyama-kun's serve in play...!" Yachi-san gasped, and I nodded, humming.

"But... that's a long receive." Ukai-san's friend added his piece, and I agreed. The way he'd received it, the ball just flew back over to Karasuno's side and they had every chance to turn it into a point for them still.

Then, out of nowhere, one of Johzenji's players jumped up and caught it, sending it sideways towards another player, number 7, who spiked it.

Kageyama-kun only just managed to block it from smacking straight off of his forehead!

"Yikes...!" I said nervously, and Yachi-san rapidly nodded in agreement.

"Hit it again, Numajiri! Go for a direct spike!" one of Johzenji's players called to number 7, who nodded. He went up to spike again, but his shot was cleanly received by Karasuno's captain.

Daichi-senpai is as reliable as always...!

Thanks to that receive things were in place, and Kageyama-kun sent the ball to Shoyo-kun.

"Waah! There it is! Number 10's awesome quick strike!" I heard someone enthusiastically cheer from somewhere and I grinned, watching as Kageyama-kun roughly high-fived Shoyo-kun, nearly sending him tumbling backwards with the force.

Shoyo-kun was getting notorious in his own right, it seemed. I was glad for him. Maybe, as his notoriety grew, he really could become the next Small Giant...!

"You know, I've thought this for a while now, but... Sawamura's age and behavior don't match up, even more so than Azumane's... He doesn't seem like a high-schooler at all." Ukai-san's friend mentioned.

I shook my head, "Maybe it seems that way, but when he was struggling with the basketball club's captain during lunchtime rush recently, he got too into it and set off the emergency bell. Remember that, Yachi-san?" I said, turning to Yachi-san with a smile.

She nodded, giggling a little bit, "The teachers all got really mad at him!" she agreed.

"I-I see..." Ukai-san uttered, caught off guard by the information.

"Daichi-senpai's really amazing," I said, turning to the match again, "I hope if I were to become captain of the girls team at any point, I could be half the captain Daichi-senpai is." I added and refocused my attentions on the match, which was still proceeding.

After a while, the points added up on both ends, and the score sat at 10 – 11 to Karasuno. They were really keeping it a tight match, here.

And the further into the match we got, the more clumsy moves Johzenji were pulling off. It's like they weren't taking the match seriously at all, and their players weren't paying attention to where each other were.

"It's almost like they're not used to having six members playing at the same time," I commented, and the two with me had to agree.

But no matter how clumsy things seemed on their side, eventually, we were tied at 17 points each. And their tactics were confusing at best.

"Someone who's not the Setter tossed the ball, and the Setter is the one who hit it...?! Wow, it's all mixed up!" Yachi-san was completely lost when Johzenji seemed to toss the rule book out the window.

"Yeah, that sorta thing isn't done too often. As a result, it serves to confuse the enemy blockers, but... That side... 'Hitting it because you want to'... That's some amazing versatility they've got. That sort of thing is only possible with skill and a certain mentality." Ukai-san's friend said.

After a brief break to switch up layers, and a few plays later, we were pulling ahead again in the points race, two points ahead of Johzenji at 19.

We got our twentieth point in a way that's not easy to forget. Kageyama-kun blocked the ball with his own face

"Uwaaaah! Kageyama!" the other boys playing yelled, a mixture of shock and being strangely impressed, or on Tsukishima-san's part, an embarrassed silence.

"Waaahh! Don't die, Kageyama!" Shoyo-kun cried.

"My nose isn't bleeding at all!" Kageyama-kun defended, clearly lying, as blood dribbled down over his mouth from his nose. Despite his repeated insistence that he was fine, Kageyama-kun had to be switched out, just to ensure he really was alright.

"Don't worry, Kageyama! We'll take care of things while you're gone!" Shoyo-kun called to Kageyama-kun, as Suga-senpai stepped out to take his place as Setter for the time being.

What surprised me was the sudden swap of Shoyo-kun for Narita-senpai immediately after.

The match carried on from there, with the gap in points gradually widening; Karasuno had a lead over Johzenji at 18 – 21. Just four more points and the first Set could be theirs.

The gap was quickly narrowed down, to a one-point difference, but Karasuno remained in first, now at 22 points, when Kageyama-kun returned from the nurse's office, all patched up. He went over to the reserves area to wait.

"Kageyama-kun's alright after all!" Yachi-san said, relieved.

"Yup. Seems that way. Still, it looks like they're not gonna switch members, yet." Ukai-san's friend agreed, folding his arms.

A few plays later, Karasuno had bumped up their score to 23 to Johzenji's 21 points. They were doing well under Suga-senpai's Setting! Not that I expected any less of senpai, though.

Their next play was a synchronized attack; Tsukishima-san, Asahi-senpai, Tanaka-senpai and Daichi-senpai all ran up to spike at the same time.

Johzenji didn't know where to block, and Karasuno scored their 24th point via Daichi-senpai and Suga-senpai's combo.

We only had one point to go, but it came to us in a way I both did and didn't expect from the unpredictable Johzenji team.

Seemingly inspired by Karasuno's synchronized attack, they tried on of the own, to a resounding failure.

"Huh...?" was all that I could utter, surprised at their reckless play. I sighed out, deciding to consider it a blessing.

The first set was Karasuno's!

* * *

 **onigiriri: I am so, SO sorry that this took long. I'll bet you all thought this was cancelled or that I was dead or something. -.-' I've just been struggling with mental health issues, as well as a unhealthy dose of writer's block. It's been eating me up inside these past few months that I wanted to update so much, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. But now I'm finally back, and I'm going to do my best to make sure something like this doesn't happen if I can help it. No! I definitely don't want this to happen again!**

 **Please leave a comment so I know you guys are still out there and love this story. Thank you so much! ;_;**


	48. 48 Tooth

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 48: Tooth.**

After a brief recess, it was time for the second set, and with it, came the return of Kageyama-kun, perfectly fine despite the volleyball to the face earlier. He seemed really eager to get back on the court right away, which was granted.

The referee blew the whistle, signaling the teams to get onto the court and into position.

"Hey, Hinata, Kageyama! Keep calm, okay!?" Suga-senpai called out, as Kageyama-kun and Shoyo-kun were pretty much the opposite – they were totally amped up!

There was a brief moment where Terushima-san approached and talked to Shoyo-kun from the other side of the net, likely a bit of trash talk if Shoyo-kun's reaction was any indicator.

After that, Johzenji was up to make the first serve of the set. Noya-senpai caught it and sent it back up, and Kageyama-kun and Shoyo-kun were already in formation to do their quick.

"Ah!" I gasped, as Kageyama-kun put a little too much force into his toss and it flew past Shoyo-kun's path. Someone's a little too excited...!

Luckily, Daichi-senpai caught it before it could fly out of bounds.

It flew back over to Johzenji's side, and after a few touches from other players, it returned to Terushima-san, who spiked the ball.

Daichi-senpai was there again, sending it back up, and Kageyama-kun and Shoyo-kun tried again; this time, Shoyo-kun managed to spike and scored Karasuno's first point.

"Alriiiight!" I heard Yamaguchi-san cheer.

"They definitely got it that time!" Suga-senpai agreed loudly from the reserves' area.

I sighed out, patting my chest. What a relief! Thank goodness we had Daichi-senpai around...

The match continued for a while, the tide still in Karasuno's favour, until the score stood at 13 – 09 after Karasuno's latest scored point.

Despite the bad odds on Johzenji's team's side, their captain was still calling to his players to keep their spirits up, and in turn his teammates were undeterred by the circumstances.

They kept trying hard, to keep Karasuno from scoring another point. They really had a lot of energy; it was easy to see that that was one of their strong points.

But despite all their running around and diving, Shoyo-kun scored the next point, sending it barreling through Terushima-san's block.

"YESSS! A COUNTER!" someone from our reserves called out; I think it was Suga-senpai again.

In the next play, Shoyo-kun went on to score another point, and I thought he was really hitting his stride, but in the play after that he ended up getting a net ball.

"Agh! Sorry!" he cried.

"Don't mind!" Tanaka-senpai called back.

Now, it was Terushima-san's turn to serve.

"Terushima, give 'em a good one!" one of Johzenji's players called.

"WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT BACK IN ONE GO!" Terushima-san yelled enthusiastically, and his team happily agreed, as he through the ball up and ran into his serve.

It landed out of bounds, his serve perhaps a little _too_ enthusiastic...

"Nggggh!" I heard Terushima-san growl loudly, frustrated. I actually felt a little sorry for him. He was trying so hard...

And it wasn't just Terushima-san. His whole team were trying their hardest to keep the ball in play, and make up some more points to catch up to Karasuno's 5 point lead.

But after another spike attempt ended in an out of bounds ball, things were looking grim. Johzenji's manager called for a time-out and gathered his players.

"Attacking is all well and good, but Johzenji's pretty impatient." Ukai-san's friend commented and I agreed.

"They're all trying to get in there at once so it's no wonder they keep bumping into each other and losing points. There's no deeper strategy to their plays." I added and Ukai-san's friend nodded in agreement wordlessly.

I watched curiously as rather than the coach, it was their team-manager, the girl with the brown bob that spoke to them, after having enough of Terushima-san's unwavering optimism.

After a moment, her voice was raised and she yelled at them for a bit, but I couldn't make out what she said to them.

The time-out eventually came to and end, and with the scores sitting at 17 – 11 to Karasuno, the second half of the set resumed. Whatever that manager had said to Johzenji's team seemed to have done the trick, because they all looked more focused and determined than ever to turn it around.

From there, they were a lot more organized and were quickly catching up in points, although Karasuno retained a strong lead of more than two points.

Eventually, as the points were at 20 – 16, Shoyo-kun was switched in in Noya-senpai's place again, and it was Tsukishima-san's serve.

"Uwaaah, we've almost got it...!" Hitoka-san squeaked from beside me and I nodded.

"Johzenji still can't stop Hinata's quick either. Now's their chance to take it all in one go!" Ukai-san's friend said.

But something was strange. This time, they weren't even trying to mark Shoyo-kun. And this new strategy of theirs seemed to be working out, too. They tightened the gap of points to a two-point difference and they didn't seem to be breaking their stride.

I clenched my fists, and pursed my lips closed, gulping. Karasuno had to do something or they'd lose their lead.

"Ahh, Aoba Johsai did the same sort of thing, too... There's no helping it. Hinata's spikes are still 'lacking power' after all..." Ukai-san's friend sighed.

I pouted at hearing that; he wasn't wrong. But I knew that a disadvantage like that would only fire up Shoyo-kun even more.

Johzenji made the next serve, and Noya-senpai was there to receive it. Kageyama-kun caught the ball and tossed it to Shoyo-kun who was already airborne to spike it.

He spiked it with such precision as well, landing it safely on the inside of the edge of the court.

"Yes!" I gasped, happily.

"Nice Kill!" Hitoka-san also called out, excited.

"Well, things're definitely different to how they were with Aoba Johsai, that's for sure!" Ukai-san chuckled, pleased.

"Make it count, Kageyama!" Daichi-senpai called as Kageyama-kun got into position to serve.

From there, the points bounced back and forth for a little while, until Karasuno scored their match point through Shoyo-kun, which he did so with the new special Quick he and Kageyama-kun had honed over the summer.

Clearly trying to pull out all the stops, Johzenji tried to turn what could be the last play to their favour with tactic we'd seen them unsuccessfully attempt in the previous set.

"No way...! At a time like this, they're trying another synchronized attack?!" Ukai-san gasped, shocked.

But their attempt was to no avail, once again. This time Terushima-san managed to spike it. But this time, he also spiked it out of bounds. The match was over.

And Karasuno had won.

* * *

As we met the team outside the courts after the match, Tanaka-senpai and Noya-senpai had enthusiastically high-fived Hitoka-san and I, pumped up from their resounding victory today.

It was then that that giant from Date Kogyo approached Shoyo-kun. I gasped, and thought about going to hide behind someone, but decided against it.

I clenched my fists in the fabric at the bottom of my jacket, and watched as the giant Date Kogyo player stared Shoyo-kun down.

Shoyo-kun in turn looked back up at him, trying not to quake in his sports shoes, confused at the stare-down.

Then, suddenly, the giant spoke up, pointing straight at Shoyo-kun, "Tomorrow. I will stop you," he said seriously, with steely determination in his eyes.

I blinked in surprise, before it dawned on me. This guy, if I remember right, challenges the team's Ace, right? That means he considers Shoyo-kun on the same level of threat.

I found myself grinning at Shoyo-kun, and it seemed he'd realised it too.

"Nuh-uh! Tomorrow, I'll dodge you again!" Shoyo-kun responded, and the giant merely dipped his head in acknowledgement, before turning and leaving on his way. Then Shoyo-kun started doing that excited cry of his, "Hoooooaaaahhh!"

"Shut up!" Kageyama-kun snapped, annoyed at the noise.

"Did he really come all the way over here just to say that? When did Hinata get so famous?" Yamaguchi-san asked.

"It'll only happen more and more from here!" I said confidently, clapping my hands together.

Shoyo-kun jumped in surprise, and rubbed the back of his head, looking a mix of bashful, pleased and nervous all at once; "R-R-Really...?" he asked.

I turned to him and nodded, smiling, "Yes, it's what I believe! And they're not in the wrong to do so, either," I replied, and Shoyo-kun blushed deeply, getting even more bashful.

"Oi," Tsukishima-san deadpanned, "Don't overload the shrimp's ego," he commanded, and Shoyo-kun turned to glare at the tall blonde.

I sighed, shaking my head at my classmate. Of course, people should be keeping an eye on him too.

After all, if Date Kogyo won their match today against Aoba Johsai and we won against our next opponent tomorrow, they would be Karasuno's next opponents in the semi-finals.

Whichever the opponent was, everyone knew it would be a difficult match-up.

We also got a brief look at the aforementioned next opponent, Wakutani Minami, as well as the cheering squad family of what must've been one of their players; a 'Takeru'.

With a first glance at our next opponents, we left for the day to regroup for tomorrow's matches.

* * *

Your first game today was well played, everyone!" Ukai-san called out once we were all back at Karasuno's gym later that afternoon.

"Thanks, Sir!" everyone replied.

Takeda-sensei stepped forward, "If we win, we will have to play two games in a row tomorrow, so be sure to rest well tonight!" he informed everyone.

"Our quarter-final match is against Wakutani Minami Unlike the other teams we've hit so far, their third years stuck around and are still playing. That makes them the most 'complete' team we've faced yet this tournament. Their defensive tenacity and offensive flexibility is up there with Nekoma," Ukai-san explained and I saw Tanaka-senpai and Shoyo-kun flinch in recognition; Ukai-san continued "So if we start having trouble getting shots through, stay patient. Don't let your tempers get the better of you." He said and Tanaka-senpai and Shoyo-kun flinched a second time, straightening up.

Daichi-senpai grinned, "Don't worry, we'll be there to back them up, coach." He reassured Ukai-san, and Tanaka-senpai, Noya-senpai and Shoyo-kun all looked to him in wonder.

I smiled behind my hand at that.

Daichi-senpai clenched his fist, "Okay, guys. Listen up. Tomorrow, we are going to win." He said decisively and everyone was fired up by his confidence.

They got in a circle and put their hands in; Hitoka-san, Kiyoko-senpai and I joined in too, "Go... Karasuno! Yeah!" we all cheered, and with that, we all split off and headed home for the day.

Like Takeda-sensei suggested, I took a warm bath and went to bed early, which I'm sure everyone else did the same.

Tomorrow was the big day for the boys.

* * *

The night came and went and before I knew it, I was sitting up in the stands again with Hitoka-san and the team banner, watching as Daichi-senpai and Wakutani Minami's captain shook hands in preparation for today's match.

"Hey there! Good morning! It was Mogami-san, right...? And..." I turned to see one of Ukai-san's friends from the neighborhood team approach us.

I blinked in recognition, "Ah, Shimada-san, right...? Good morning!" I said, and bowed in greeting.

Hitoka-san hurriedly followed suit, flustered; "Yachi Hitoka! I-I-I'm also an assistant m-manager!" she said nervously.

"Woah, calm down! Are you okay?" Shimada-san waved his hands to calm the girl.

"Are you here by yourself today, Shimada-san?" I asked him.

"Yeah, Takinoue said he might be able to make this afternoon's match, but unfortunately he has work this morning." Shimada-san explained and I nodded.

"Maaan, this is gonna be exciting!" I heard a loud woman's voice approaching behind Shimada-san and saw a woman with bleach-blonde hair in a bob, wearing a leather jacket and a low cut red shirt coming over to us. She waved a hand in a sloppy salute, "Yo! I'm Saeko, my little brother's on Karasuno's team!" she explained.

I blinked, looking her over; I had a hunch on who her little brother was, just looking at her.

"Then.. Are you... perhaps Tanaka-senpai's sister?" I asked her hesitantly and she nodded swiftly.

Wow...

"Th-they're identical...!" Hitoka-san gasped quietly.

Saeko-san then turned to the court and began calling out to Tanaka-senpai, "Yoohoooo~! Ryuu! Yuuuu~!" she called loudly.

I saw Tanaka-senpai flinch at noticing her, and Noya-senpai through his hands up to the air excitedly, "Saeko-neesan!" he called back happily.

Wha... Nee-san? Senpai aren't related are they...?

I was a little confused, but let it slide. Surely they'd have mentioned something like that by now? But, maybe not; you can call someone who isn't really your sister, like a sister, I guess...?

I turned back to see Hitoka-san staring at Saeko-san in shock, "Are you okay, Hitoka-san?" I asked her.

She blushed and waved her hands, "I-It's nothing...!" she denied and I glanced back at Saeko-san discreetly. Well... I suppose they are big, after all...

' _Hitoka-san. I understand._ ' I thought, folding my hands over my chest and leaning forward on the barricade.

* * *

Pretty soon, both teams were done with preparations and the match began with the referee's whistle blow.

"Here we go, day 2. Keep winning guys!" said Shimada-san.

Decided by a coin toss, Wakutani Minami, better known as Wakunan for short, were up to serve first.

"Yeah, first thing's first! Shock 'em with the Freak Quick!" Shimada-san smiled, as we saw Kageyama-kun and Shoyo-kun's set up after Wakunan's serve was received.

Shoyo-kun hit the ball over the net, making it past the blockers. But Wakunan's captain was there to make contact. It bounced sideways off his forearms and went out of bounds.

Our first point!

But Wakunan wasn't shaken by it at all, which surprised Shimada-san, but not me. After all, Johzenji yesterday were the same. But something about the way Wakunan reacted was different, and kind of unnerved me.

I gripped the barricade I was holding onto it, watching the match carefully.

"You know, I think this might be the first team that _hasn't_ been surprised by that Quick, right?" Shimada-san mused, and I nodded.

That meant these guys were ones to look out for.

Kageyama-kun was next up to serve, and the Wakunan captain received that serve again. This time he got it up successfully and it went to their Setter to toss.

They tricked Shoyo-kun with a delayed spike, and as he was marking someone else, he wasn't there to back up Tanaka-senpai with his block, and the pony-tailed player's spike broke through easily.

"Dwahh! That guy came out of nowhere!" Hitoka-san yelped.

"A delayed spike, huh...?" Shimada-san frowned, "It's not a new trick... but it looks like they've put their own spin on it. The level of technical skill on their team is impressive!" he added.

Next up was Wakunan to serve, which Asahi-senpai received, sending it over to Kageyama-kun.

Kageyama-kun then sent it again to Shoyo-kun, who spiked it over the net. It bypassed the blockers again, but was quickly picked up by another Wakunan player.

After being bumped up by another player, it was sent to the captain, "Last one's all yours, Takeru!" the player called.

"Got it!" Takeru-san replied, and proceeded to spike the ball through a wall of three with ease, and then send it careening off into the audience after hitting Shoyo-kun's forearm.

The guy in the stands seemed surprised to have actually caught it.

Wow... That was a Block Out. Wakunan's captain... he's really good. I had a bad feeling about this match... I knew it was going to be hard for them.

* * *

Ten or so minutes later, and I wasn't wrong, but at the same time, Karasuno was doing well, too. The points for the first set stood at 15 – 14 to Wakutani Minami, and their star player truly was Takeru-san, the captain. He'd been dominating his team's points, like the Ace.

"Huh. It's been like this for the whole game but Karasuno's not falling behind at all," Shimada-san said with a smile, "But it doesn't look like Wakunan's gonna let us take the lead either!" he added ruefully.

I nodded, frowning down at the match. Noya-senpai had just received a spike from Wakunan, sending it over to Kageyama-kun's hands.

Shoyo-kun ran in for the spike quickly, and Wakunan again caught it, but like the first play of the match, it bounced sideways and out of bounds. Their captain was right onto his player with encouraging words, however.

In the next play, Karasuno served, and the ball was soon brought over to our side again, which Tanaka-senpai received. Kageyama-kun decided this time to send the ball to our Ace, Asahi-senpai, who spiked the ball straight down, scoring another consecutive point.

"Yuss!" both Hitoka-san and I fist pumped, as if in synch, pleased with the play's result.

For the first time since the match started, we'd finally pulled ahead of Wakunan. Regardless of if it was just by one point, it was something, and we were grateful. Now they only had to keep the streak going!

From there, the points kept jumping back and forth and Wakunan and Karasuno were neck-to-neck. It was super intense.

But then, it happened.

The score stood at 17 – 19 to Karasuno and things were looking good. The point gap was finally widening...!

"This is it, guys! This is our chance! Let's keep the momentum!" Daichi-senpai called out to the others confidently.

"Ossu!"

Karasuno served, and the ball went over the net, being received by the pony-tailed guy, who sent it back up to the Setter, then to one of the wing-spikers, whose spike was received by Tanaka-senpai.

"Yeah! Good dig! Cover, cover!" Daichi-senpai called out.

"It's all yours, Asahi!" Tanaka-senpai shouted, as Asahi-senpai went in for the spike.

Wakunan received it again, extending the play.

"Gah! They got it again!" Hitoka-san cried, frustrated.

"Man, just watching is wearing _me_ out..." Saeko-san commented, and I nodded.

"They've got this, though! After all, we've got such reliable receivers, like Daichi-senpai, and Noya-senpai!" I responded, watching as the ball broke through Karasuno's wall of blockers again and ricocheted off to the side, and Daichi-senpai rushed after it desperately.

Wait... But so was Tanaka-senpai... they're gonna collide!

"Yes! They got it over!" I barely heard Shimada-san say as Hitoka-san cheered. All I could focus in on was Daichi-senpai and Tanaka-senpai...

"Wait... huh?" Shimada-san trailed off, realising it too.

I cried out, "Daichi-senpai!?" I yelled down, upset.

Next to Tanaka-senpai who nursed his elbow, lay Karasuno's unconscious team captain.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Okay, so the chapter's title doesn't actually happen in this chapter but at the start of the next one, but this was the "cliffhanger" I wanted to end on this time, and I liked the chapter name so I didn't change it, lol.**

 **Hope you liked the chapter! Please, leave a review if you have the time! xxx**


	49. 49 Substitute Foundation

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 49: Substitute Foundation.**

I felt cold with dread as I watched Daichi-senpai lay unconscious, the other players crowding around him. From what it looked like, Tanaka-senpai and Daichi-senpai collided, and while Tanaka-senpai got away with a sore arm, Daichi-senpai took a blow to the side of his head. That's potentially very dangerous...!

Just goes to show why its important to be aware of where all your teammates are on the court in Volleyball.

Slowly, Daichi-senpai seemed to come to, though sluggishly.

He hoisted himself up to a sitting position, rubbing his head with a wince. Ukai-san rushed over to his side, yelling;

"What happened?! What did you hit?!" he asked, and as he answered the coach, Takeda-sensei also rushed over.

"Sawamura-kun, do you remember where you are? ...Tell me the name of the team we're playing!" he drilled senpai.

Daichi-senpai seemed to twig on to what these questions meant, "Wakutani Minami! I'm fine, sir, really! I can still play!" he said.

Takeda-sensei looked to Ukai-san and said something to him quietly, and Daichi-senpai looked devastated. After a few moments it was easy to see why. He was quickly guided off of the court, and Kiyoko-senpai accompanied him to the nurse's station.

Takeda-sensei then looked up to where we were seated and gestured for me to come down, calling my name.

Startled out of my stupor, I blinked and pointed to myself questioningly. He nodded with a small smile, and gestured to come down again.

I looked to Hitoka-san, Machida-san and Saeko-san hesitantly, and apologised, "Sorry can I ask you to look out for Hitoka-san while I'm gone...?" I asked them.

Saeko-san grinned and swung an arm around the smaller Hitoka-san's shoulders, to which the petit blond squeaked in surprise, "Don't worry, we'll take good care of her," she reassured, and Machida-san nodded in agreement.

"U-Uhm... Will senpai be okay...?!" Hitoka-san asked, worried about Daichi-senpai.

I nodded, "It's hard to tell at the moment but he was lucid enough when he left. Let's believe in senpai." I told her in response. Hitoka-san timidly nodded, and I went on my way down to the court.

* * *

When I made it down to the court, Ennoshita-senpai had already been selected to replace Daichi-senpai on the court. He looked super nervous, and understandably. This must be his first step on the official tournament court this year, and he had some big shoes to fill.

I went towards Ukai-san and Takeda-sensei, ready to report in.

Takeda-sensei turned to me with a smile, "Thanks for coming down, Mogami-san. Since we sent Shimizu-san away to look after Sawamura-kun, we needed a replacement manager down here to help with the boys. Ukai-kun decided you were the best fit for the job." He explained to me and I looked to Ukai-san in curiosity.

He glanced at me wordlessly, then shrugged and gestured with his head towards the boys.

I turned and looked over at them, just in time to see that Shoyo-kun and Noya-senpai had spotted me.

"Moeka-san!" Shoyo-kun gasped, looking pleased; he bounded over towards me, as Noya-senpai patted Tanaka-senpai on the back and tried to get his attention. He looked really worried.

"Moeka-san, are you gonna be down here with his this time?!" Shoyo-kun excitedly asked.

I flushed a little and smiled, nodding in confirmation, to which he gave a 'whoop'.

Tanaka-senpai only gave me a brief glance, but he seemed to have his attention elsewhere. I followed his line of view to Ennoshita-senpai, and moments after, Tanaka-senpai made his way over to him.

"Hey... Ennoshita... Sorry, and thanks." He mumbled nervously.

Ennoshita-senpai seemed to look slightly annoyed at Tanaka-senpai's countenance, and spoke sharply;

"Sorry for what? Sorry that you accidentally ran into Daichi-san? After a collision like that it wouldn't have been strange for both of you to have been seriously hurt. Yes, as a result of the collision, Daichi-san will have to sit out of this entire game, maybe, _but_ -! Looking at it from where the rest of us are standing—Asahi-san if you would?" Ennoshita-senpai looked to Asahi-senpai, and the tall Ace nodded.

"We're just glad that you weren't hurt too!" he said seriously, and everyone, myself included, completely agreed.

Tanaka-senpai seems a bit dramatic sometimes, taking the whole world on his shoulders. It's very unlike him. I prefer the boisterous, energetic Tanaka-senpai.

Ennoshita-senpai then proceeded to push Tanaka-senpai on to the court, "Got it? Good. We've already lost some firepower with Daichi-san out. Can't have you getting all down in the dumps too!" he said seriously.

I smiled, pleased with how it turned out. Ennoshita-senpai is reliable as always. Well... with the third years graduating after this year, I think Karasuno was still safe with a solid substitute to their foundations.

A road-bump like this might not be as big of a handicap as I thought...!

"Nice serve, Ennoshita-senpai...!" I called to him, making sure not to be too loud. I didn't want to distract him too much, when he was up to serve.

He heard me, and with a wobbly smile, nodded, "Thanks, Mogami-san," he said softly, and got into position with the ball.

He threw the ball up to serve on the referee's orders, and the game against Wakutani Minami officially continued.

* * *

Ennoshita-senpai threw the ball above his head, and spiked it, sending it across the net. It was received by the ponytail guy from Wakunan and then was promptly spiked past our blockers.

"Yeah! Nice Kill!" another of the Wakunan players cheered. The score for the first set still currently stood at 18-20 to Karasuno so we still had a lead. But now more than ever, because of Daichi-senpai's absence, Karasuno had to be extra vigilant, to make sure things stayed that way.

Wakunan's captain was next up to serve, and Ennoshita-senpai just barely managed to catch it with his forearms before it flew off to the side.

Another point for Wakunan...

"Mogami-san!" I heard Takeda-sensei call me and spun my head round to face him, "Do you have a moment?" he asked, waving me over.

Curious, I moved closer to listen to what sensei had to say.

He was eyeing the match seriously, and after a moment, he brought me over to Ukai-san and whispered something to him. Ukai-san glanced at him in surprise, and thought for a second, before nodding sharply and excusing himself, leaving us in charge. He mentioned about going to check up on Kiyoko-senpai and Daichi-senpai at the nurse's station.

I blinked in curiosity, as sensei turned back to me, "Mogami-san, could you please go and get Tsukishima's sub card and bring over Yamaguchi?" he asked of me and I widened my eyes, nodding and quickly getting to work, excited.

Yamaguchi-kun was finally getting another chance as a Pinch Server...!

"C'mon! Bring it on!" I heard Ennoshita-senpai practically roar out, and nearly tripped in surprise. Wow. Things are getting intense over there...

I gave a quick glance to the happenings on the court, then turned to the reserves area;

"Yamaguchi-kun...!" I called over to him and he flinched in surprise, before turning to me in surprise and pointing to himself questioningly. I smiled widely and waved him over encouragingly.

He seemed to gulp audibly, and then half-jogged over towards me.

"Y-Yeah...?" he asked.

I handed him Tsukishima-san's sub card, pressing it into his palm, "We're gonna have you go in as a pinch server at the next play. Are you still warmed up?" I asked him, and he seemed nervous; I patted his arm, "Hey, are you okay?" I asked him.

"A-Ah! Um... that is..." he looked away guiltily.

"It's only natural to be nervous, Yamaguchi-kun, after last time," I sympathised and he looked to me worriedly, "But you've been training just as much as the rest of the guys since then, right? You can do it!" I told him.

He widened his eyes, and looked down, clenching his fists. He nodded once.

"Yeah... You're right...!" he said, sounding almost half convinced.

"Yamaguchi, you're up!" Takeda-sensei called over to us, and Yamaguchi-kun nodded, jogging past me to get in position to switch in with Tsukishima-san.

As Tsukishima-san walked off the court and Yamaguchi-kun took his place, he paused and spoke to his friend;

"You're sweating like a pig... This isn't like last time, y'know. We were behind then. Now nobody will be all that broken up if it isn't in." he said and I sweat-dropped.

Is that supposed to be encouragement for your best friend...?

"Thanks, Tsukki!"

"Hm."

Well, I guess it is...

I sighed out, and watched as Yamaguchi-kun got in position to serve and the referee signaled for him to go. The whistle blow the referee gave however caused Yamaguchi-kun to jump in surprise and through the ball too high and far out.

He momentarily panicked, before jumping to spike it.

It hit off the top of the net, before falling promptly down to the floor on the other side. Thankfully, Wakunan were slightly slow on their reaction time and were not in time to catch it.

I let out a quiet breath. That was a close one!

I cupped my hands to call, "Nice Serve, Yamaguchi-kun...!" I called to him, careful not to be too loud and startle him.

He didn't look too pleased with his work, despite scoring a point, though.

The other Karasuno players however, still encouraged him. After all, we were now at Set Point, thanks to his recovery.

"Nice one!" Tanaka-senpai called out

"Give us another one, Yamaguchi! Server up!" Shoyo-kun added enthusiastically.

Gulping nervously as he retrieved the ball to Serve again, Yamaguchi-san nodded. This time he didn't do the Jump Float, opting to keep his feet firmly on the floor.

His Serve got over the net, but was caught by Wakunan's players this time, and he moved onto the Court to get ready to receive the ball. He seemed to have frozen up after that, leading Ennoshita-senpai to dive in front of him to catch it before it just bounced off his limbs and lost them a point.

I bit my lip; Yamaguchi-kun's self confidence is a really fragile thing. He downgraded because he didn't have faith in his jumping Float Serve.

"It's up! Good one Ennoshita!" Suga-senpai cheered.

"Cover! Cover!" Noya-senpai urged.

The ball flew in Kageyama-kun, who hit the ball up for Asahi-senpai, "Azumane!" he called to the Ace.

Asahi-senpai jumped, and spiked the ball with force, slamming it off the court on the other side of the net.

I let out a deep, relieved sigh that I hadn't realised I'd been holding, alongside Takeda-sensei next to me. With that, we had won the first Set of the match. Now all we needed to do was win the second one too.

"Ah, Ukai-kun...!?" I heard Takeda-sensei gasped and I turned to look; I widened my eyes in alarm as Ukai-san, who'd just returned, stormed towards Yamaguchi-kun, drawling out his name angrily.

Yamaguchi-kun looked rightfully terrified, until Ennoshita-senpai quickly got between him and Ukai-san.

"Um...! Coach...! I think... Yamaguchi... he knows!" he said quickly, "He already knows, better than any of us do... So... Yeah." he added, rubbing the back of his head.

Yamaguchi-kun looked devastated. He seemed like he agreed with Ennoshita-senpai, as much as it despaired him to admit it.

"Coach! Is Daichi-san...?!" Tanaka-senpai asked anxiously, and I perked up, wanting to hear this.

"He's fine. However, the pain in his mouth and the bleeding are apparently pretty bad. Just in case, they're having him sit out the rest of the match and rest for a while." Ukai-san explained, calming himself down.

As if sensing something of what Tanaka-senpai was thinking, Asahi-senpai and Ennoshita-senpai slapped his back roughly, surprising him.

He steeled his expression, nodding seriously, "Yeah. I know," he said.

Ukai-san nodded, "Right. So, we're gonna win this and get another match lined up for Sawamura. Right now, that's the only thing you guys need to think about!" he said and the team nodded determinedly.

"Alright! Let's gooooo! Ka-Ra-Su-No!" they cheered, ready to head into the second Set.

* * *

Twenty to twenty-five minutes later, things hadn't gone as planned for Set Two. It was Wakunan's captain Takeru-san who scored their twenty-fifth point, winning the second Set in their favour and leaving us with no choice but to play the tie-breaker third set.

As the boys came off the court to grab a drink and towel off the sweat dripping from them, I saw Narita-senpai and Kinoshita-senpai approaching a moody looking Ennoshita-senpai.

"Yo!" Kinoshita-senpai said first, "You know you're the only one looking like it's the end of the world, right?" he asked, prompting Tanaka-senpai and Noya-senpai to approach, patting his back roughly and back-handing his chest respectively.

"Hey! Don't put the world on the brink, bro!" Tanaka-senpai said enthusiastically, before moving away.

"Earth Defense Army!" Noya-senpai childishly exclaimed.

Ennoshita-senpai finally smiled, exasperated by his peers, as Tanaka-senpai spoke again, "Yeah some of the members of our blockers are gone right now, but others can be bumped. And our attacks are getting through! We just need to keep it together!" Tanaka-senpai said optimistically.

Looks like what they said worked, I thought as I smiled. Out of the corner of my eye, the orange flash of Shoyo-kun's hair naturally caught my attention and I glanced over to him as he approached Ukai-san.

"Hey Coach! Was the Small Giant like Wakunan's Number 1 at all? I only ever saw him once in that one game on TV." He asked Ukai-san.

The coach nodded, "Yeah pretty much. Out everybody in the prefecture right now, his play style is probably the most similar." Ukai-san agreed.

Shoyo-kun promptly turned to stare at Takeru-san in the distance.

Kageyama-kun approached, frowning deeply, "Hold it. Don't even think about comparing yourself to him. He's in a totally different league from you when it comes to Aerial Combat. Just do what you do and forget about him," he said, sounding a bit condescending.

Shoyo-kun turned to him, annoyed, "Why do you always have to break a guy's heart like that, huh?!" he snapped.

Kageyama-kun seemed surprised at his reaction, somehow, "Hey! I was just being nice and giving you some advice!" he defended.

"How was that nice?!" Shoyo-kun's cry echoed my thoughts exactly, "It's obvious the other guy is super good, okay?! That's not the problem! The problem is what're we gonna do about it!" he said loudly.

Shoyo-kun had a point.

How _were_ we going to deal with Takeru-san's obvious skill.

The third and final Set of the match commenced shortly after that. This was our last chance to make sure Daichi-senpai could play the next match today. They had to pull through now, or never.

* * *

The third set had been going for a few minutes when Takeru-san once again spiked past Karasuno's defenses, scoring their 2nd point to Karasuno's one.

"YEAAAAH! NICE SHOT!"

"HE DRILLED THAT LINE SHOT, WHOA!"

"HE'S SO GOOD!"

I heard the people in the stands shouting out. It was clear that most everyone watching believed Wakutani Minami would win the match. And I can see why, honestly, but I wasn't discouraged. It's my job as stand-in manager while Kiyoko-senpai is with Daichi-senpai to believe in our boys.

In the next play, Wakunan's server accidentally flubbed his spike, rolling it over the top of the net to our side.

Tanaka-senpai was quick to dive and receive it. And then, Shoyo-kun was there to spike the ball. He spiked, hitting it off the opponents' fingers, but sending it flying way too far. It landed out of bounds, widening the gap by another point.

I sweatdropped. I'm honestly not surprised. When Karasuno is in a tight spot, Shoyo-kun tends to get even more amped up. A lot of our players do that, actually.

Soon, the ball was in Kageyama-kun's possession again and he sent it to Asahi-senpai. Wakunan managed to receive it again and they went to score another point.

Tanaka-senpai and Shoyo-kun jumped to block and sent it flying off their fingers and to the side Ukai-san and I were watching from. Shoyo-kun was on it right away, diving towards... me!?

"Mogami-san, _MOVE!_ " Ukai-san shoved me out of the way and with a squeak I fell to the ground out of Shoyo-kun's path, as Ukai-san lifted the seat out of the way only barely in time to avoid Shoyo-kun barreling right into it.

Upon sending the ball back up, Shoyo-kun was quickly on his feet and rushing back to the court again.

I put a hand to my chest, heart racing, as Ukai-san sighed and put the bench back down; "You okay?" he asked and I sighed out.

"Y-Yes." I stuttered, getting back up.

"COUNTER!" Ukai-san yelled out, turning back to the match as I did. At that, Shoyo-kun was already in the air, and spiked the ball, scoring Karasuno's second goal.

"HOAAAAA!" Shoyo-kun cheered, mid-air.

"HOLY CRAP THEY NAILED THEM WITH A COUNTER ATTACK?!"

"WHAT SETTER MAKES THEIR SPIKER HIT FROM THERE?!"

As so me people in the audience cried out, Shoyo-kun's momentum got the better of him and he ended up crashing into Kageyama-kun. I hissed, wincing.

Wobbly, they got back to their feet as Asahi-senpai fussed over them. Then they had a bit of a non-serious fist fight.

"Wow! That was amazing! Great kill!" Ennoshita-senpai congratulated the two.

"...Um, even if someone has backed us into a corner... one of our biggest weapons is the strength to just blast straight through them." Kageyama-kun explained, "It was something like that, I think, hat you told me yourself some time ago, Ennoshita-san." He added as an afterthought, as the others stared at him, a little mystified.

After a moment, Ennoshita nodded, agreeing.

After Kageyama-kun's words of 'wisdom' he was up to serve for the next play. And right away, he scored Karasuno another point, bringing the score to a tie.

That was quickly responded to by another score from Takeru-san, and following that, as if in reaction, Asahi-senpai scored another point for the team.

"Yeah.. I think we need to quit triple blocking Nakashima," Ukai-san said, referring to Takeru-san, to Noya-senpai who was waiting to go in.

"Roger coach!" Noya-san agreed, and moments later he was back into the fold.

Ennoshita-senpai managed to dive to receive Wakunan's spike, and Noya-senpai caught it next, covering for Ennoshita-senpai.

Asahi-senpai came next, attempting a spike, but it was out-of-bounds. For some reason it was Noya-senpai who apologised.

"I'm sorry...!" Ennoshita-senpai apologised next, bowing his head.

Tanaka-senpai looked at him quizzically, "Sorry for what, bro?" was all he said in response, and then after a moment, he continued, "If you think you're going to do everything exactly the same as Daichi-san does, you're... uh...ten years...? Nah, way too long... Uhhh... YOU'RE ONE YEAR TOO SOON! So I don't care about what anybody else says, I call that a Good Save, bro!" he said loudly, near growling it out.

Ennoshita-senpai looked at him, stunned, and then, smirked; "Quit it with the realistic time frames, would you?" he snarked, and Tanaka-senpai just grinned back.

The following ten minutes after that were intense ones. The points kept jumping back and forth in favour between Karasuno and Wakunan, the point difference staying tight.

Now, the score stood at 18 – 19 to Karasuno's favour, thanks to a lucky out of bounds blunder by Wakunan. It was then that Wakunan called for a time-out, and everyone got to rest.

I went around supplying everyone with towels and their water bottles, to replenish their energy, along with some encouraging words which were happily taken... well except from Tsukishima-san, who tried to look like he didn't care what I said and it was no big deal. What a tsundere...!

After the time-out ended, the game continued as it had been before; Wakunan caught up in points with Karasuno, and Karasuno promptly scored another point. Tsukishima-san switched in with Noya-senpai, and Shoyo-kun went to serve.

As Tsukishima-san switched in, he whispered something to Kageyama-kun, before separating. I noticed he and Ukai-san had been talking to each other during the time-out, too.

What kind of plan had the coach put together...?

"YES! GOOD ONE, TANAKA!" Ennoshita-senpai called out when Tanaka-senpai received the ball that Wakunan had sent back from Shoyo-kun's serve.

Tanaka-senpai, Asahi-senpai and Tsukishima-san all came up to jump at the net at the same time, as Kageyama-kun set the ball.

But it was Ennoshita-senpai who spiked the ball, catching Wakunan off guard. It bounced off Takeru-san's forearm and scored another point for Karasuno. They were at 21 points now, two points ahead.

They managed to stay two points ahead for the next few plays as well, bring it to Asahi-senpai's turn to serve. We only had to score two more points now, to win the match. Things were looking good!

Asahi-senpai again spiked the ball too hard, sending it out of bounds. But Wakunan's server's ball landed out of bounds, so we got our 24th point all the same.

It was now Set and Match point, Takeru-san served; Tsukishima-san didn't manage to reach in time, just a hair away from receiving it. He was switched out, and Noya-senpai replaced him, there to catch any balls for us, just in case.

The pony-tailed Wakunan player served next, looking very determined to turn things around. Again, his ball bounced on the top of the net before rolling over to Karasuno's side.

Noya-senpai reliably caught the ball, sending it up for Kageyama-kun.

I clenched my fists and pursed my lips, wide eyed with anticipation. This could just be _it_!

Shoyo-kun went up to spike, but the ball was too high. He just managed to swat it over the net; "Free ball!" Takeru-san called out to his teammates.

"HINATA!" Ennoshita-senpai yelled out, "No getting happy feet! How does a good jump start!?" he called to Shoyo-kun.

"WITH A GOOD APPROACH!" Shoyo-kun chimed, and I smiled.

"You can do it, Shoyo-kun! Everyone!" I called out to them, cupping my hands. My heart was racing.

Kageyama-kun and Shoyo-kun blocked Wakunan's spike together, and Ennoshita-senpai made a nice save, receiving the ball when it flew backwards from their palms.

Shoyo-kun went for it again, and Kageyama-kun faithfully delivered the ball to him.

 _WHAM!_

Followed by silence.

The ball landed in bounds. That was it.

Karasuno had defeated Wakutani Minami.

The excitement, the pleasure at seeing them win was matched only by the nervous flutter of my heart.

Just two more matches. If they could win those two matches as well, I would confess to Shoyo-kun.

He turned to me with a wide, breathless grin, his eyes starry; "Moeka-san! We won!" he called, before being accosted in a furious scrubbing of his head from Tanaka-senpai, which surprised him.

I beamed, and glanced to Ukai-san asking for permission. He nodded and gestured, smiling in satisfaction, and I went over to join the boys in their celebrations. I was brought in to a side-ways hug by the sweaty Noya-senpai, and I through a quick grin to him, before turning to speak to the others as well,

"It was a great match! Congrats you guys!" I told them, and they nodded.

Now all that was left, before the next match, was to check up on Daichi-senpai.

* * *

 **onigiriri: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW(July 16th)! What I'd really like is comments from all of you, please. Let me know how you're enjoying the series? It's getting close to its end, I think. xxx**


	50. 50 Inbetween Matches

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Haikyuu_. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 50: Inbetween Matches.**

* * *

"DAICHI-SAN!" Tanaka-senpai's voice suddenly boomed, surprising everyone, and we all turned in time to see Daichi-senpai standing before us, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and grinning, but otherwise, looking well.

"Uhh... Hey guys. Um... Sorry?" he trailed off uncertainly.

Then, everyone burst into loud chatter, looking full of energy as they rushed over towards their team captain.

"D-Da—Dai—A-Are you-?!" Tanaka-senpai stuttered and Daichi-senpai chuckled.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. No really, I mean it! The painkillers have kicked in and I got to lie down for a while. I'm feeling better than I did before the game started, to be honest." He reassured us, and gave a confident smile, "Next game, I'll put in twice the effort to make up for taking a game off." He promised, and pat the back of his team-mates roughly;

"Anyway, you guys played to full sets so you've gotta be exhausted! You guys gotta rest up – Captain's Orders! C'mon!" he said, shoving them along.

As the guys walked on ahead as ordered, Daichi-senpai turned to Ennoshita-senpai, "I got to watch the tail-end of your game. It was right about when you hit the 20-point mark or so. At first, I wanted to rush back as soon as they'd let me go... But when I poked my head out of the hall and actually saw you all playing... I knew you'd be just fine. In fact, I thought if I tried to force my way back in, I'd break your rhythm. I watched that last rally, too. That was a sweet serve there at the end. Good job, Ennoshita." He congratulated the second-year.

"Um... Th-thank you...!" as Ennoshita-senpai stuttered a thanks out, I saw Kiyoko-senpai approach me.

"Was everything okay? Thanks for taking over for me," she said to me, tucking some hair behind her ear.

I blushed, "Oh, um, it was my pleasure!" I said, and chuckled, "I don't think I did all that much, but I'm glad I got to do some more manager-like duties," I added.

Kiyoko-senpai just smiled, "I'm glad you enjoyed it," she nodded to me.

I just gave another nod, humming to myself. That may have been my first and only chance to be down by the court supporting them.

It's bittersweet, but I've made up my mind already to switch to the girls team next year. If I changed my mind now, I'd be a pretty fickle person.

I'll ride out the rest of this tournament, and hopefully, nationals as well, cheering for everyone with everything I had.

That's my duty, as assistant manager. And also, as their friend.

* * *

We took our seats in the stands to watch over the Date Tech – Aoba Johsai match. Whoever won the match would be Karasuno's next opponent in the semi-finals. The match currently sat at 06 – 08 to Aoba Johsai, when I heard some boisterous voices and rushed footsteps running up to the stands.

"Well?! How is it?! Are we winning?!" someone loudly called out, followed by a higher voice yelping out "Hey! Don't push!" in surprise.

There were two dark haired boys in blazer school uniforms, one taller than the other, and a taller one with bleached hair. They looked familiar, but from where...?

"Argh! Damn it! We're losing! No... wait. We're only down by two, that isn't bad!" the bleached-hair guy in the back said worriedly.

Ah. So they're from Date Tech? Maybe third years, then. It's kind of unusual for our team's case. Third years normally step back for the second and first years around this time of the circuit because they're studying for final exams, but Karasuno has a stubborn bunch of third years that hadn't done so.

"It's the second set, though. Who won the first one?"

"Um... The first set went to Aoba Johsai." Daichi-senpai spoke up from the row in front of me and the boys turned to us in surprise.

"GEH! KARASUNO!" the shorter, dark-haired guy gasped, alarmed.

"Um... hey." Daichi-senpai awkwardly bobbed his head.

"Oh... Um, hello." They returned the greeting, as footsteps came up from behind them as they had just moments ago.

"Jeeeez, you guys just had to rush ahead?!" a voice I found very familiar sighed out, sounding exasperated and I whipped my head around to look.

"You guys just don't listen, do you? The match'll still be on for at least another twenty minutes, Moniwa-senpai." Said another very familiar voice.

The shorter, darker-haired guy turned to the two girls in similar blazer uniforms that had followed him, whining; "B-But...!"

I stood up from my seat, wide-eyed; "Hatsumi-senpai!? Kaori-senpai?!" I said, shocked.

Everyone else's heads whipped around to face me at my outburst and I blushed; the first girl stared a moment, before grinning widely, opening her arms for a hug.

"Moeka-chan!" Hatsumi-senpai cried back, hugging me tightly around the shoulders, while Kaori-senpai blinked, looking caught off-guard. She uttered a soft 'oh', but seemed pleasantly surprised.

Hatsumi-senpai pulled back, "What're you doing here? Oh, and how've you been?" she asked.

I smiled, flushing happily, "I've been great! Um, I'm here as an assistant manager to Karasuno's boys' team," I explained, gesturing over to the boys. Shoyo-kun perked up, seeming to have realised the girls were familiar.

"Oooh! Tezuka-senpai! Nakahara-senpai!" he waved excitedly.

"Hinata-kun! Looking good in that jersey! You finally got yourself a team, huh?" Hatsumi-senpai grinned. Shoyo-kun flushed happily, getting all shy and rubbing the back of his head cutely.

"Hatsumi-san, try to keep your voice down. Or do you want the whole gymnasium to hear your conversation?" Kaori-senpai said to Hatsumi-senpai and she looked embarrassed, squeaking and covering her mouth.

"Um... Mogami-san...?" I heard Suga-senpai pipe up and I turned to him; the boys were all staring at me and at Shoyo-kun, not sure what to make with the encounter; "Mind introducing us to your... friends?" he asked uncertainly.

I gasped, "O-Oh, of course...! Um, these are my senpai from middle school, and we were on the same volleyball team. This is Tezuka Kaori-senpai, my former captain, and this is Nakahara Hatsumi-senpai, my former vice-captain and a Setting mentor of mine." I introduced my middle school senpai to my high school senpai; "Um, and these are Karasuno's Boys' team. I'm here supporting them today as their assistant manager." I added.

"Manager?" Hatsumi-senpai repeated, furrowing her brows in confusion.

The sound of a volleyball smacking down, and Moniwa-san's cries of dismay reminded us that there was a match, taking place.

"Maybe we should talk somewhere else," Kaori-senpai input, and turned to Ukai-san, "Are you the supervisor? Do you mind if we borrow Mogami-san for a while?" she asked him.

"Yeah. We'll bring her back before your next match!" Hatsumi-senpai added.

"What, you're leaving?! This is our team playing here! You said you'd watch with us, Hatsumi-chan!" the tall bleached-hair guy cried, looking disappointed. He was also blushing for some reason. The taller dark-haired guy elbowed him in the side and he jumped, startled.

"It's only for a little while, Kamasaki-kun." Hatsumi-senpai smiled knowingly, and the bleach-haired boy named Kamasaki's cheeks turned redder, as he was subdued by her words.

With an 'okay' from both sides, I was guided away by Kaori-senpai and Hatsumi-senpai. While we were away, I explained everything that had happened in the last two years, and my plans for the future, too.

* * *

By the time I'd gotten through everything, and caught up with my senpai as well, the match seemed to have ended, from what we could hear. I bid them farewell after trading phone-numbers amongst each other, and headed over to join my boys again, anxious to hear about who they would be facing next.

I learnt that the team that Karasuno would be facing was Aoba Johsai, once again. They say history repeats itself, but the boys looked determined to make sure it didn't this time. They had looks on their face that said 'This time, we'll win'.

Well, most of them did at least.

"U-Um, is it just me, or does everyone seem on edge?" Hitoka-san asked, looking around at everyone as we prepared for the next match in the sub-arena.

"Yes. In the last tournament, we gave everything we had to beat Aoba Johsai... but it wasn't enough. We lost." Kiyoko-senpai explained, and I nodded somewhat somberly.

"Um... Y-Yachi-san...?" a shaky voice came from behind us, and we both turned to see Yamaguchi-kun nervously approaching, holding his stomach; "D-Do you have any antacids..." he mumbled out, looking pale. We were both alarmed.

"Yamaguchi-kun! Are you okay!?" Hitoka-san gasped, grabbing the bag with first aid supplies in.

"Sorry. I just got really nervous all of a sudden..." he said shakily.

At this Hitoka-san turned to him, looking excited, "Oh! Believe it or not, I have some great ways for dealing with nerves!" she said to him happily.

"What? You do? Like what?" Yamaguchi-kun was surprised, and nervous.

"See, the best thing to do when your nervous is to say so! Don't hold stuff inside, that only makes it worse. Saying, 'oh my gosh, I'm so nervous!" or 'what am I gonna do?!" out loud will make you feel better in the end. When I get nervous, I tend to get super worried my whole life could be in danger, so I looked up all kinds of ways to deal with nerves!" Hitoka-san energetically chattered. I guess she was pretty passionate about this sort of thing.

I smiled, thinking the exchange cute as Yamaguchi-kun confessed his concerns to her and she nodded along happily.

"Moeka-san..." a voice came from behind me, pulling me away from observing the exchange, and I turned to Shoyo-kun.

What surprised me was that he looked nervous, and I mean, really nervous. He too, was holding his stomach as if it were rebelling against him.

I furrowed my eyebrows, concerned; "Are you okay, Shoyo-kun? Do you need some antacids too?" I asked him softly.

He shook his head quickly, his head becoming a blur of orange for a moment, "N-No, just listen!" he stuttered and my heart did a stutter of its own.

"O-Okay..." I said breathlessly.

He bit his lip, and turned his head to look back at where Tanaka-senpai, Noya-senpai and Asahi-senpai were standing. The two second-years of the group gave him big, cheesy grins and flashed Shoyo-kun two thumbs up each.

Shoyo-kun turned back to me, trying to straighten up, and looked me in the eyes; "U-Um... I'm gonna—I mean _we're_ gonna beat the King! And after we do, I have something to tell you! So can we go talk somewhere else after the match?! I swear we'll win!" he said quickly, his pitch rising with his nerves.

I blushed a bit, my heart racing. C-Could it be...? It couldn't be that Shoyo-kun has the same plan as me, could it?!

"Okay. I'll go with you." I found myself saying, and Shoyo-kun let out a breath of relief.

"G-Great! I um... I gotta go warm up!" he said, walking away almost mechanically. When he rejoined Tanaka-senpai, Noya-senpai and Asahi-senpai, the two rowdy second-years roughly wrapped their arms around his neck in a congratulatory manner and he squeaked in response.

Is he really okay?

I patted my chest, willing it to calm down from its frantic pace, as Hitoka-san rejoined me; "Moeka-san, are you okay? Do you need help with nerves too?!" she gasped, noticing my state and getting worried.

I gave her a grateful smile, and shook my head, "No, it's fine, Hitoka-san. Thank you, though." I told her.

"I-If you sure..." she mumbled.

About ten minutes later, it was time for Karasuno to head over to their allocated court, and take part in the 'fated rematch' against Aoba Johsai.

* * *

As soon as we were on the same court as Aoba Johsai, I immediately felt a pair of eyes on me. I had a feeling I knew who it was, but I didn't know how to react to him. Should I face Kindaichi-san with a smile, as if we're still friends? Does our relationship even qualify as friendship anymore...?

I didn't know what to do.

I still wanted to be friends with him. That much I knew. But it was just too awkward. I don't know if I could do anything about it; if I even had the courage.

* * *

As it turns out, an opportunity to speak with Kindaichi-san never came before the matches started up and I found myself up in the stands with Hitoka-san, Shimada-san and Saeko-san. Takinoue-san, another of Ukai-san's friends joined us soon after.

"Yo! Looks like I made it in time!" he called as he sauntered over. Saeko-san was quick to introduce herself, being an unfamiliar face before now at Karasuno's matches.

She hummed and looked down at the court, "So this is the semi-finals, huh? ...Wait, then that means that if they win this one and the next one, they go to Nationals!" Saeko-san said, "That's amazing!" she added

Shimada-san nodded, looking nervous, "Yeah, amazing. They just have to beat two powerhouses to pull it off, that's all...hahaha," he laughed nervously.

I pouted, and pumped my fists, "They can do it! Right Hitoka-san!?" I turned to her to ask.

She nodded, looking anxious, "Y-Yeah!"

Saeko-san cooed, swinging an arm each around the two of us from behind, "Atta girls! They've got this!" she cheered, "Ryuuuu~! Give 'em hell!" she called down.

"Sh-shut up nee-san...!" Tanaka-senpai cried up at her, cheek red. He gave a huff, and smirked confidently, giving us a thumbs-up. The other guys on the team also shared the sentiment, grinning confidently along with him.

"Line up!" the referee called, and the boys all got into position. They bowed to each other, calling 'Thank you for the game!" before going to shake hands and bow to each referee as is customary.

Ukai-san called them together for a pre-game talk, probably informing them of how much this match really means; like they didn't already know. The last time we were here, Karasuno lost to Aoba Johsai after a long, tough battle. This time was their second chance and last shot at Nationals before the third years graduated. Both teams' third years badly wanted this opportunity, so everyone was going to be going all-out today.

After a coin toss, it was decided that Aoba Johsai would be up to serve first. Not only that, the first up to serve was Oikawa-san himself.

They're going out of the gates with a sprint!

"Oikawa-san, server up!"

Takinoue-san groaned, "We've gotta deal with Oikawa-kun's killer serve right off the bat?!" he cried in dismay.

"Huh? Is it really that bad?" Saeko-san asked, having not seen Oikawa-san in action before.

"It's a missile, that's for sure," Shimada-san commented.

"It will be really bad for us if he grab the momentum from the get-go with his wicked serving. And to be frank, he likely will." Takinoue-san agreed.

"Server up!"

"Char siu!"

"Tonkatsu!"

"Tantan Noodles!"

"Do you want me to make it or miss it—which is it?!" Oikawa-san yelled at his team-mates after they started listing off foods with deadpan expressions. Obviously, an inside joke there. It left us in the stands mostly puzzled, though.

Regardless of their banter, Oikawa-san got into positions, and jumped, hitting the ball with all his might.

Daichi-san was already there, determined to cut off his momentum before it even started.

 _Boom!_ It cracked off his forearms and flew back to Aoba Johsai's end of the court. Shoyo-kun rushed to catch it before they sent it back over and scored a point, but Kindaichi-san got there faster, pushing it down to our side's floor.

Kageyama-kun was there in a flash, bumping it up off of his forearm; "Nice save, Kageyama!" Daichi-senpai called out.

From there, Noya-senpai was there to do a toss in Kageyama-kun's place, sending it to Asahi-senpai's palm.

With a heavy _thump_ , Asahi-senpai spiked the ball over the net and beyond the reach of any receivers from Aoba Johsai's side.

"YEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Karasuno's team-members and supporters cheered out, while Oikawa-san cursed loudly.

The first point of the first set was Karasuno's!

* * *

 **onigiriri: Here's a slightly shorter chapter than usual, as a kind of bridge between the VS Wakutani Minami match and the fated VS Aoba Johsai match! I managed to bring back a couple of OCs from the first few chapters, I wonder if anyone even remembers them, lol.**

 **And what do you think Hinata wants to talk about with Moeka after the match?! We're getting close to the end of the fanfic! It'll be the first time I actually manage to finish one, lol.**


	51. 51 The Double-Edged Sword

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump,_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 51: The Double-Edged Sword.**

"Kageyama, server up!" Ukai-san called out at the beginning of the next play. Kageyama-kun got into position, holding the volleyball in his hands, looking stern and disciplined as always when it came to a match.

He threw the ball up, and gave a run up, before leaping to the air and spiking the ball, hard.

Aoba Johsai's number 3; I think his name was Hanamaki-san, watched as the ball closed in, before moving out of the way and letting the ball hit the ground out of bounds.

Kageyama-kun hissed, looking a mixture of frustrated and embarrassed. With that flub, Aoba Johsai got their first point through technicality.

"Shake it off! Shake it off! You'll get the next one!" Daichi-senpai reassured the dark-haired Setter.

Now, the serve turned to the opponents side, and Iwaizumi-san got into position, waiting for the referee's signal to go.

His serve bounced off Asahi-senpai's forearms with a nice receive, but the ball was flying long. Kunimi-san was about to try and dunk it back over the net, when Kageyama-kun's palms came out in his path, tapping the ball back up in the air with his fingertips.

The ball came to Tanaka-senpai, and he spiked, making a great 'Kill'! Saeko-san, Hitoka-san and I cheered and clapped for him, as he yelled out a long 'yeah' in celebration and the others congratulated him...

While Shoyo-kun looked a little frustrated.

I giggled to myself and Hitoka-san looked at me quizzically; I pointed out Shoyo-kun to her, and his expression; "Shoyo-kun's looking pretty antsy because he hasn't gotten to touch the ball yet." I explained to her and she giggled quietly too.

"The match has only just started though," she commented and I nodded.

Shoyo-kun did say that 'when they won the match' he wanted to tell me something. Be patient, Shoyo-kun. You'll definitely get your opportunities! You and everyone else have worked hard for this after all!

After a few more minutes, things were still pretty tight. Both teams were tied at 5 points but it was coming to a point where Karasuno had a chance to get a point on Seijoh.

"Good pass, good pass!" Hitoka-san called out, as Daichi-senpai bumped the ball up for Tsukishima-san to spike.

Seijoh's Libero caught the ball, sending it over to Oikawa-san, who set the ball for Hanamaki-san to spike. However, Tsukishima-san was there to block it, sending the ball shooting directly downwards instead of over the net, scoring Karasuno a point.

"Aw'right! Stuffed 'im!" Noya-senpai crowed, pleased, while Tsukishima-san merely adjusted his glasses.

After that, Shoyo-kun was switched in for Noya-senpai, while Tsukishima-san was serving. That meant there was finally an opportunity for Shoyo-kun to get in there, which I'm sure he was anxious to do.

"Amazing... They're staying neck-at-neck with Seijoh right from the get-go!" Takinoue-san commented, arms folded across his chest, "Hmm, but you know? Right now... They really aughta have Hinata smash that freak quick home at least once." he added and Saeko-san looked at him quizzically.

"Huh? Why?" she asked.

"Because the last time these two teams played, it came down to the Freak Quick. Kageyama had it all set up and Hinata nailed the ball dead on... But Seijoh saw it coming and roofed him. That ended the game and got Karasuno eliminated." He informed her and she looked surprised, "That left a really nasty sting not only on their pride, but ours as well up here in the stands. I have to wonder if that failure isn't still lingering in the back of Kageyama and Hinata's minds, too." He added.

I hummed thoughtfully. He was totally right, I thought, as I looked down to Shoyo-kun. He was staring rather intensely, right at Kindaichi-san, though the net, who was doggedly staring right back at him with the same steely determination.

"Tsukishima, server up!"

Tsukishima-san serve the ball, but it was caught and sent to their Ace, Iwaizumi-san, who spiked the ball past Kageyama-kun's defense.

Daichi-senpai jumped in in time to bounce the ball back up into the air, which gave Kageyama-kun an opportunity to toss. He sent it to Shoyo-kun, who jumped up to strike the ball, but his spike was sent back by Kindaichi-san.

"YEAH!" Kindaichi-san cheered, as he landed and the ball ricocheted off of Tsukishima-san's forearm, flying up again.

"Aw'right! Way to be in the right place at the right time!" Takinoue-san cheered, excited.

"It's coming back over! Get ready, get ready!" Iwaizumi-san called out to his teammates, following the ball.

Oikawa-san bounced the ball up off his forearms, eliminating his chances of tossing in this play, and the ball went up into the air.

Surprisingly, I saw Kageyama-kun give Shoyo-kun's behind a swift kick, and he started yelling in a panicked way, telling Shoyo-kun to focus. I raised my eyebrows at the dark-haired Setter.

"Iwaizumi-san, last hit! To you!" called Seijoh's Libero, sending it to Iwaizumi-san who ran in to spike. His spike bounced off the arms of Karasuno's wall, and Asahi-senpai caught it, sending it back up again.

Kageyama-kun was there to toss, sending it to Shoyo-kun again.

Kindaichi-san was there again, marking Shoyo-kun, but this time, Shoyo-kun's spike broke through their guard, and bouncing off the Libero in an unsalvageable spot, securing us our seventh point to Seijoh's five points. I squealed happy as the others around me cheered as well.

Shoyo-kun and Kageyama-kun proceeded to energetically high-five each other, screaming excitedly.

"Looks as though we're finally at the starting line!" Shimada-san commented, sounding as pleased as we all felt.

* * *

Ten or so minutes later, the first Set was still going as I saw Kaori-senpai and Hatsumi-senpai approaching our spot in the stands and waved them over.

"I thought you guys had to go back to school? Where are the Date Tech third years? Wasn't one of them, um...?" I trailed off as they approached, not wanting to assume without knowing for sure.

"That dope? He and the other two didn't think ahead and send in sick notes and they were caught by their parents and taken back to school!" Hatsumi-senpai said with a smirk and a laugh.

"We're lucky they didn't realise we were ditching school. We'd have been in even bigger trouble for making fake sick notes..." Kaori-senpai said with a deep sigh.

"You actually agreed to doing something like that, senpai?" I asked Kaori-senpai, surprised.

"Under duress from this girl," Kaori-senpai clarified in a flat tone, to which Hatsumi-senpai pouted at her. I 'ahh'd in realisation, understanding immediately. I then proceeded to introduce them and the people in the group with me, and we all sat down to continue watching the match.

"So how's the match going so far?" Kaori-senpai asked, looking down at the match with keen interest. Of course, she and Hatsumi-senpai would want to see how the team that defeated their school's team was doing.

"Karasuno's managing to keep their lead on Aoba Johsai. The scores are at 16 – 15." I said as Oikawa-san stepped up to serve. His serve was caught by Daichi-senpai and Kageyama-kun sent his toss to Shoyo-kun, who spiked and scored another point, "Make that 17 – 15." I corrected with a grin.

"Woooooow..." Hatsumi-senpai gave an impressed whistle, "Aren't Aoba Johsai in the top 4 for Miyagi teams? Karasuno's doing really well to keep ahead." She added.

I nodded, "Well, it could still go either way. This is only the first set." I replied, and gripped the railing tightly.

"But you're counting on Karasuno pulling through a win, so you can confess to Hinata, right?" Kaori-senpai commented, embarrassing me in front of Takinoue-san, Shimada-san, Saeko-san and Hitoka-san!

"K-K-Kaori-senpai...!" I hissed at her, turning beet red.

"What?" she blinked at me, not seeing what she had done. Hatsumi-senpai quietly put her palm to her face, sighing exasperatedly, but smiling.

"Y-You like Hinata-kun, Moeka-san...?!" Hitoka-san stuttered, as red as I was, looking at me wide-eyed.

"You know I kinda had a feeling," Shimada-san said with a small smile.

Takinoue-san smirked, looking down at the match, "So there's more riding on this thing than I thought, huh?" he commented.

"RYUUUUUU! GET IN THERE AND SCORE MORE POINTS!" Saeko-san loudly cheered down to her little brother and I just covered my face, mortified.

"Ah... was that my fault?" Kaori-senpai finally realised. I could only sigh, peeking out through my fingers to see how the match was going.

The scores had jumped up to 17-18 in Karasuno's favour. They only had to get seven more points, best-case scenario, to win the first set.

Aoba Johsai's Libero was currently being switched out for their number 2, Matsukawa-san, and Kindaichi-san was up to serve. Matsukawa-san quickly called them in to whisper something in their ears, before the next play started.

Kindaichi-san's serve came over to Tanaka-senpai who bumped it back up. The ball went to Kageyama-kun and was tossed for Shoyo-kun. But Matsukawa-san was right there, and skillfully diverted Shoyo-kun's spiking direction, straight into Kindaichi-san's forearms, and it was sent back into the air.

From there, it went to Kunimi-san who scored a point quickly, and wordlessly. Seijoh gathered to celebrate their scored point. The scores were at a tie now, 18 points each.

About ten minutes later, the scores had changed again and Karasuno had just managed to pull ahead with 22 points to Aoba Johsai's 21 points. Lots more spectators were starting to file in, interested in the match's proceedings and chattering away.

"How's the Karasuno vs Seijoh game going?!"

"It's totally back and forth the whole way!"

"Looks like last time really wasn't a fluke on Karasuno's part!"

It seemed like everyone was really excited about the match, even if they weren't connected to either team. The same went for Kaori-senpai and Hatsumi-senpai who were ignoring the consequences that would be awaiting them back at school to stick around and watch.

They were totally engrossed and I don't blame them. Karasuno's matches always seemed to get pretty intense. It couldn't be good for my heart, honestly.

Right now, Oikawa-san had the ball, and was setting it for Kindaichi-san, who jumped to spike. Shoyo-kun was there to jump and block the spike, and Seijoh's Libero had to dive to try and catch the ball, but he didn't make it in time, scoring Karasuno a two-point breathing space, for now.

However, Seijoh were right on their tail-feathers, returning the favour and scoring a point in return, tightening the gap again.

And now, it was Oikawa-san's turn to serve. This was where it was important for the guys to stay vigilant and ready to receive the ball.

"Bring it on!" the Karasuno boys crowed, ready.

Then, Oikawa-san delivered a full-blown spike rather than a serve, and sent the ball flying out of bounds with a harsh smack. He proceeded to hold his head in dismay, apologizing to his teammates.

I wasn't sure what was going on with Oikawa-san at that moment, but it only meant great things for Karasuno! They now had the set point! One more and the first set would be theirs – a brilliant start to the match.

The next play was an intense one, that brought Seijoh up to a 23 to Karasuno's 24. That was when a substitute card went up for Seijoh's side, and a player I hadn't seen yet stepped up onto the court.

Hatsumi-senpai squinted, before looking taken aback, "Whoa, is that guy wearing eyeliner...?" she asked.

Kaori-senpai smacked her arm, "That's rude." She hissed, though the look on her face said she agreed.

The boy had bleach blonde hair, in a buzz-cut that seemed to have not been shaved in a while, and with the structure of his face, it almost seemed like he didn't have eyebrows. He had a scary expression, scowling angrily at Karasuno, or so it seemed.

I couldn't help but feel a little nervous because of this intimidating guy, as he stared ominously at Karasuno's players.

It was Iwaizumi-san's serve, and he sent the ball flying. Daichi-senpai caught it, sending it back up and from there, Kageyama-kun sent the ball to Tanaka-senpai who jumped to spike.

Seijoh's Libero caught it, sending it to Oikawa-san. Oikawa-san was getting ready to set, when all of a sudden, the new guy was there, jumping to the air and fiercely knocking Kindaichi-san out of the way and stealing the spike that Oikawa-san was setting up for Kindaichi-san.

Kindaichi-san landed to the ground with a thump and a groan as the new guy spiked the ball with a great amount of force...and promptly sent it out of bounds.

I think everyone was equally stunned, even the Seijoh players. Just what the hell was that!?

Well, at least thanks to that guy, Karasuno had taken the first set! What a lucky break!

As Karasuno's boys processed this, I saw Iwaizumi-san hit the new guy in the head, yelling at him about how dangerous that move was.

I had to agree! I hoped Kindaichi-san was okay – That was a hard knock he took...!

As I thought this, Takinoue-san, Shimada-san, Saeko-san and Hitoka-san all started celebrating the victory over the first set together.

* * *

After a few moments, the scoreboard was reset accordingly, ready for the second set. Like Takinoue-san had said, if they could take the second set as well, the match would be over.

Something told me it wouldn't be quite _that_ easy though.

My feeling had something to do with that new guy. He'd probably gotten out most of his pent up aggression in that wild first attack he dead, so there was no telling how big of a threat he could be, especially given how hard he could spike the ball. It'd probably be a good spike for breaking through anyone marking him.

The second set went off on a bad start, when Asahi-senpai accidentally spiked the ball out of bounds, just as Oikawa-san had done so earlier.

He started apologizing profusely to his teammates, while wearing a scary expression on his face, who told him to just shake it off and keep playing.

The next play of the second set went much like the first one had, except for Seijoh, and the points evened out quickly.

Tsukishima-san was up to serve, and he sent it with an irregular spin to it, causing it to wobble over the top of the net; Seijoh's Libero only just managed to get it in time, diving to the ground and sending it back up.

"Nice Dig, Watari!"

"Yeah!"

Oikawa-san was there to set the ball, and called out "Mad Dog!" as he sent the ball to...the new guy. Well, it was kind of fitting – he was quite intimidating and wild from what I'd seen already.

This 'Wild Dog' was there in seconds, making his approach almost parallel to the net, and jumped up with a great arc in his back, spiking the ball with all his might, sending it across the court's side and past those marking him, instead of straight ahead as one usually did.

It was close, but it decidedly landed within the court, scoring Seijoh a point.

Like I thought, though he's wild and erratic, he's a skilled player! This might be really tough for the boys...

"So that's why he made such an odd approach...!" Shimada-san gasped in realisation and we all looked to him for explanation; he continued, "When a Hitter goes up against a wall of blockers, head on, that obviously makes it more likely the blockers will stop him, though he isn't entirely without options! But, in this last rally, the Hitter didn't go head-on. He came straight in from the side and aimed for an edge! And because he's right-handed and hitting from the right side of the court, he could make a shot with that extreme an angle!" he explained.

"Whoa!" Hitoka-san squeaked, impressed and scared at the same time.

"You wouldn't think a guy like that really uses his head, but...!" I added, and my senpai nodded.

"He's rough around the edges...Very rough...but..." Kaori-senpai hummed thoughtfully, bringing her fingers to her lips pensively.

Hatsumi-senpai nodded, "With a bit more work this guy could become a real monster!" she agreed.

"H-H-He isn't already...?" Hitoka-san stuttered, looking worriedly down at the match.

"What we're saying is he's going to be a tough opponent, even after this match, to face." Kaori-senpai clarified, as Hatsumi-senpai nodded in agreement.

The rally had been continuing as we spoke, and Mad Dog-san had again crashed into someone while trying to spike, and didn't seem to be meshing well with the team. It was all well to have a guy who was as fierce a competitor as Mad Dog-san, but if he couldn't fit into the jigsaw puzzle, so to speak, it may not be as big a treat as it could be.

Karasuno just had to manage to get a point lead on Seijoh, and widen the gap enough so that they could guarantee a second set won to their name, and they would win. I hoped it'd be that easy...

Mad Dog-san may have been playing recklessly, but he'd already guaranteed a three-point lead on Karasuno right at the start of the match.

We struck it lucky on the next play, when Iwaizumi-san's serve hit the net. After that, Kageyama-kun was up next, to try and shrink the gap in points some more.

He spiked the ball, but couldn't score the point; it went to Oikawa-san, who in turn sent it towards Kindaichi-san. Because people were wary of Mad Dog-san, they focused on him, but he was a decoy. Kindaichi-san scored the point.

"Yeah! Nice Kill, Kindaichi!"

"Thanks!"

The difference in points widened again. The score stood at 5 – 2 to Seijoh.

"Kindaichi, server up!" called out Matsukawa-san, and Kindaichi-san got up to serve. He sent the ball flying over and Noya-senpai bounced it back up for Kageyama-kun.

Kageyama-kun then sent the ball to Shoyo-kun, who spiked it, only for it to be caught and sent back up by Iwaizumi-san; "It's up! Cover!" the third year called out, and Hanamaki-san went and caught it, saving it.

"Crap, sorry! It's close to the net!' he called back over his shoulder, as Mad Dog-san jumped, and spiked the ball as it came in front of him.

But there was a wall of three blockers there, and his attempt at scoring a point was foiled, bouncing back off of Daichi-senpai's forearms.

There were yells from both end of the court; cheers for the great blocking coming from Karasuno's side and from Seijoh's side, their assistant coach was yelling at Mad Dog-san for not just letting the ball bounce back off of the blockers arms instead of 'mindlessly smashing it'.

Mad Dog-san turned around to him and yelled right back; "But scoring doesn't feel good if I don't smash it!" he said, as if that made perfect sense to him.

Around him, his teammates just sighed incredulously.

Despite being told off for recklessly smashing the ball, Mad Dog-san proceeded to hit the ball at the exact same strength, the next time he got the ball, and thus another point was added to Karasuno's side of the board.

Saeko-san, Hitoka-san and I all sighed out with relief. Now, the gap in points was significantly less and it became possible to imagine a turnaround in this set in future plays.

Funny how it was Mad Dog-san, the one who was so intimidating, was making that possible at this moment.

Shimada-san sighed out, "When you're up against a triple block, you only have a few shots to pick from. Trying to slam the ball through a really narrow window has its risks... But given how obviously rough around the edges and inconsistent he is, and how they haven't put him out on the court until this game... I think Number 26 is a double-edged sword. He's as dangerous to Seijoh as he is to his opponents!" he commented.

A double-edged sword! That was a great way to describe Mad Dog-san!

Despite the two points he'd lost Seijoh on the previous plays, Oikawa-san once again sent the ball Mad Dog-san's way in the next rally.

This time, his accuracy was dead-on, and he cut cleanly through two blockers arms, slamming the ball down onto the court with no issues.

That was followed up however, with having the ball land out of bounds the next time when he was assigned to serve the ball.

The points were bouncing back and forward, but Seijoh still had the point advantage, despite that.

Mad Dog-san may be Seijoh's double-edged sword. He was erratic and had a lot of aggressive energy, and he didn't think things through all the way by the looks of it, but in spite of that, his unpredictability could only be an asset, if they used him right.

Right now, he was working his magic.

Karasuno couldn't seem to get a handle on this guy's style, making it difficult to turn the tables. Karasuno stood three points behind, as the score-keepers added Mad Dog-san's latest point scored to the boards.

Right now, just under half-way through the second set, the score stood at 11 – 08 in Seijoh's favour.

What would the rest of this second set hold in store for Karasuno...?

* * *

 **onigiriri:** **Sorry for the long wait! I was suffering from writer's block! T_T**

 **But I was determined to finally get something out today, as I'll be away for the rest of the week on holiday! I'm going to Kraków, Poland until Sunday! I'm excited! I hope I can come back to some lovely comments~**


	52. 52 Pinch Server's Redemption

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Haikyuu._ It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 52: Pinch Server's Redemption.**

It was just under half-way through the second set and although they'd already taken the first set, Karasuno were two points behind of Aoba Johsai's 13 points.

The next play started with Karasuno's serve, being made by Shoyo-kun, and Noya-senpai was stepping off of the court, Tsukishima-san taking his place with a cool composure despite the point disadvantage.

Shoyo-kun served successfully, and the ball was received by Seijoh's Libero, who sent it towards Hanamaki-san.

The third-year spiked the ball back over the net, calling out a thanks to his team-mate.

Kageyama-kun got into position, ready to toss as Tsukishima-san, Tanaka-senpai and Asahi-senpai ran up to the net at the same time, and seconds later Kageyama-kun sent the ball to the back-row, surprising Hitoka-chan next to me.

"A back row set?!" she gasped out, eyes wide.

Unfortunately for us, Oikawa-san had anticipated this, and was there to send the ball back down on Karasuno's side of the court.

"It's a three-point gap now...!" I hissed, frustrated as I nibbled on my finger-nail.

Hatsumi-senpai patted my back, "They'll get it back – you just need to believe in them." She told me.

I nodded, "I know." I said, and I really meant it. My faith was not shaken. Even more, I desperately wanted Karasuno to turn the tables and win this thing.

' _I'm gonna—I mean we're gonna beat the King! And after we do, I have something to tell you!_ '

I nodded decisively to reassure myself. The guys would win this match, and Shoyo-kun would tell me what he wanted to say.

I felt figurative butterflies faintly fluttering around in my stomach at the thought. I couldn't help but imagine it, but nobody could blame me, right?

It was something I wanted badly, after all.

"Argh, but I totally thought they'd get a break point off that!" Shimada-san sighed in disappointment as Hanamaki-san got in position for his turn to serve the ball.

"Faith is nice and all," Takinoue-san nodded to Hatsumi-senpai, "But they're going to have to do something to catch up here soon, or they're in real trouble." He added.

Hitoka-chan blinked, "Oh! Ukai-san called up Sugawara-senpai!" she said, catching our attention.

I looked over towards where Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei were seated, and indeed, Suga-senpai was walking towards the bleach-blond man.

"Is he going to switch setters again? It doesn't look like Kageyama is doing all that bad though. That was just Oikawa being Oikawa." Shimada-san said, puzzled.

"Hn? Hold it..." Takinoue-san said, squinting to get a better look, "I think I can see a sub card he's holding. And it isn't Kageyama's number." He said.

I raised my eyebrows in curiosity. Two Setters, on the court at the same time? Obviously, only one could play the role of Setter at a time.

"So they're going to sub Suga-senpai in for somebody?" asked Hitoka-chan.

"Hrm... It's probably a temporary, tactical substitution as part of a larger strategy." Shimada-san said with a thoughtful hum.

Saeko-san squinted at him, "Don't use so many big words," she complained, not getting it.

"Hey... Aren't you in college?" Takinoue-san said, teasing her; he sighed, "Anyway, there are two major reasons to make a player substitution. One is when a player is hurt or just not doing well. The other is when you want to temporarily put in a specialist for certain one-off situations... Like a pinch server or a one-point blocker, or stuff like that. The former are substitutions of necessity. The latter are what are called tactical substitutions." He explained, as the crowd on Seijoh's side started cheering.

Iwaizumi-san had scored his team another point, bringing up the score to 16 – 13 in their favour.

"Last time we played Seijoh, they had us on the ropes so badly our substitutions were basically desperation moves. But this time isn't anything like that. This is a strategic maneuver meant to help us win...I think." Shimada-san said.

We just looked at him; his addition of 'I think' making us pause.

"Oikawa, server up!" a voice called, drawing our attention back to the game. A bad feeling I had was soon proven right. Oikawa-san was a dangerous server to face off against!

He widened the point gap by another point, putting us at a 4-point disadvantage.

I bit my lip, and clutched the barricade pole in front of me. _Come on, guys,_ I thought; _You need to cut him off now or this set will end up being unsalvageable!_

On Oikawa-san's second serve, Noya-senpai leapt into action, or rather, he dove. He just barely managed to catch it, sending it up, and from there, Tsukishima-san touched the ball second, sending it Tanaka-senpai's way.

Three Seijoh players, Kindaichi-san, Iwaizumi-san and Mad Dog-san lined up to block Tanaka-senpai's spike, but despite their efforts, Tanaka-senpai made the point!

"YEAH! BRING IT ON!" he yelled out, adrenaline pumping.

"Nice one, Tanaka-senpai!" I called out, pleased, and Hitoka-chan echoed my 'nice one', and Saeko-san loudly cheered on her little brother as well, not holding back any embarrassing nicknames.

"Aha! Here we go." Takinoue-san said, "They've made the switch." He said, pointing it out to us.

And he was right. Suga-senpai stepped onto the court, switching places with Tsukishima-san.

Immediately, the others flocked around him, excited to see what plans the official Setter for Karasuno had in store.

They huddled, quietly going over the plans, and then Suga-senpai moved into position for serving. He took a deep breath, and threw the ball up and spiked it.

"Yes! Nice one!" Takinoue-san gasped, as the ball fluttered over the net and fell to the floor in front of Mad Dog-san, who had to bump it back up quickly before it touched down.

"With that, that guy is in no position to attack!" Shimada-san added, impressed.

Oikawa-san took the ball, tossing it for Kindaichi-san instead, who spiked it past Shoyo-kun's block.

But Suga-senpai was there to catch the ball, sending it back up.

"Nice save!" Shoyo-kun called to his senpai, and then proceeded to spike the ball right back, scoring Karasuno a point

"Shoyo-kun! Great Kill!" I called out, alongside Hitoka-chan, and Ukai-san's friends were just as much in the cheering mood as we were.

Shoyo-kun had narrowed down the point gap by one, leaving Karasuno only two points behind.

"Wow! I guess it's no surprise that after three years he's good at bump ups and stuff." Saeko-san commented.

"Now I see... Players rotating positions is one of the biggest, most visible rules in volleyball. Since everybody is constantly moving, they play every area of the court and have different responsibilities depending on where they are. That means a team's strengths and strategies will change depending on what point in the rotation they're in. For example, when Kageyama is in the back row and Hinata is in the front, that's when Karasuno is at its peak offensive power. Conversely, when the six-footers – Tsukishima, Azumane and Kageyama – are all in the front row, with receiving experts like Nishinoya and Sawamura in the back row, that's when their defense is at its best." Shimada-san folded his arms and paused,

After a moment, he continued, "But! When Tsukishima is back in to serve, we're stuck in an awkward middle. Not primed for offense but not great at defense either. Tsukishima's in the back row and can't block, but he doesn't have a particularly nasty serve to go on the attack, either," he said, "The fact that we're now able to take a rotation where we used to just hang on and hope for no disasters and turn it into one where we can actively score points – that's big!" he added.

I nodded, smiling a little. Maybe this was where things finally turned around.

"Suga-san! Server up, again!" Tanaka-senpai called out, as Suga-senpai served the ball for the second time.

This time, Mad Dog-san, seemingly pissed that he'd missed the previous one, caught it and sent it back up. Oikawa-san promptly sent the ball to Iwaizumi-san, who spiked.

Daichi-senpai was there with a great dig, sending the ball back up into play again.

And a split second after, Suga-senpai and Kageyama-kun switched positions, with Suga-senpai stepping into the Setter's position, and Kageyama-kun joining Daichi-senpai, Asahi-senpai and Tanaka-senpai in simultaneously running up to jump at the net.

And from there, Suga-senpai sent the ball to his fellow Setter, and Kageyama-kun smashed the ball down over the net, scoring the point.

"YEEEEEESSSS!" Hitoka-chan and I threw her hands up into the air and cheered together.

Hitoka-chan caught her breath, and fished out her notebook, "W-Was that perhaps the six-two formation thing?!" she asked and Saeko-san blinked in confusion.

"Wha? Gonna need to explain that one to me, kid." She said, caught off guard by our loud cheers. Shimada-san quickly explained it to her and it seems she at least partially got it. Volleyball certainly wasn't the bleach-blond woman's forte.

"Just one more point!" Hatsumi-senpai chirped and we all nodded. One more point, and we'd tie up the points evenly.

It was then that Aoba Johsai decided to call for a time-out, giving us a much-needed breather from all the action.

"Aw'right! Yachi-chan, Mogami-chan, up high!" Saeko-san cheered, turning to we two assistant managers with both hands raised expectantly.

"Yes!" Hitoka-chan hit her palms against Saeko-san's, and stepped aside for me. I smiled and followed suit, while the guys did some celebrating of their own for Karasuno's successful closing of the gap between points.

"They sure picked just the right time for a player substitution...because it's worked like a charm!" Takinoue-san said, pleased.

We nodded in agreement, looking back down on the court as the time-out period came to an end.

"Suga-san, server up again!" Noya-senpai cheered out from his spot in the reserves, jumping energetically into the air.

And so Suga-san continued to try and keep up his serving streak, spiking the ball over the net.

Hanamaki-san was there, and readily bumped it back up, determined not to let us get another easy point right out of the gates. From there, it went to Oikawa-san who sent it to Mad Dog-san.

"Yes!" Hanamaki-san cheered, as Seijoh's spectators started cheering.

"Yeah! Yeah! Kyotani! Get 'em, get 'em, Kyotani! Do that again!" they called out, as Suga-senpai switched back out for Tsukishima-san, his time on the court coming to the end for the moment.

So Mad Dog-san was called Kyotani... huh. I hope that Suga-senpai leaving wouldn't be a bad thing.

After another switch, between Tsukishima-san and Noya-senpai, the next rally began. It ended with Tanaka-senpai managing to score us another point, undoing the point difference Kyotani-san's previous spike had made.

Kageyama-kun was up next to serve.

He spiked the ball over the net with force, but it was caught by Iwaizumi-san and then sent to Kyotani-san again through Oikawa-san.

Asahi-senpai caught it, partially, the ball ricocheting off of his shoulder and flying backwards.

Noya-senpai caught it and sent it Kageyama-kun's way, and the dark-haired Setter sent it to Daichi-senpai.

Senpai got it to bounce off of Kyotani-san's fingertips and it flew side-ways, making Oikawa-san dive to catch it. He wouldn't be able to set the ball in this turn now.

So their Libero took on his role, setting the ball for Kyotani-san, who scored another point. I let out a breath of disappointment, furrowing my eyebrows.

"You know... Is it just me or are they sending their attacks to that guy really often? Like unnaturally so!" Shimada-san hummed, slouching over the barricades.

"It's not just you." Takinoue-san agreed, "I get the feeling they're putting tones of attention on him just so they can blindside us with someone else." He added, as Kindaichi-san spiked the ball over the net.

"Tanaka-san!" Kageyama-kun called out turning back to senpai, who was there to bump up the ball towards him. Kageyama-kun took the ball and sent it Shoyo-kun's way.

Kindaichi-san caught Shoyo-kun's spike, sending it back up into play.

"Mad Dog!" Oikawa-san called out, once again sending the ball to Kyotani-san. Kyotani-san spiked the ball past Shoyo-kun and Tanaka-senpai's double-block, leaving it up to Kageyama-kun as the only one in the vicinity able to bump it back up, which he did so.

Unfortunately, the ball didn't reach any of Karasuno's other players, and Seijoh took the point.

"Darn...!" I hissed under my breath, while Saeko-san shrugged.

"Oh well... I guess it's no big deal if they lose this set. They can just win the next one, right?" she said cheerily.

I shook my head, "No, that's not right," I responded, keeping my eyes on the court. I felt Saeko-san look at me.

Shimada-san nodded, agreeing, "Yeah, they really need it now with this set, in any way that I can. If they don't win this set and they go to a third set, things could get bad. At least, that's the feeling that I have." He explained to Saeko-san.

"The longer a game goes, the more energy the boys'll use up, making it more difficult to win." I added, and Shimada-san nodded.

"Yeah that's one reason," he agreed with me.

"Kindaichi-san, server up again!" One of Seijoh's reserves called up as Kindaichi-san got up to serve.

We got lucky, or rather Kindaichi-san got unlucky, as his serve didn't quite make it, bouncing back off the net.

Kindaichi-san bowed to his team-mates in apology, "I-I'M SORRY!" he apologised loudly.

"Don't mind, don't mind!" Matsukawa-san called back to him. I let out a breath. I felt bad for being relieved by Kindaichi-san's bad luck.

"Tanaka, server up!" called out Daichi-senpai.

"Yessir! Here I come, ready or not!" Tanaka-senpai said loudly, determined. He spiked the ball, and the ball went flying over the net.

Seijoh's Ace quickly bumped it back up for Oikawa-san, who sent it once again to Kyotani-san. Matsukawa-san also seemed to be running towards the net, and Shoyo-kun seemed to have been momentarily distracted by that fact.

He jumped at the last second, diagonally, trying to tap the ball Kyotani-san spiked, but he missed it; Tanaka-senpai managed to catch it clumsily with his forearm but it was for naught. Kyotani-san won the point.

And with that, Seijoh had 21 points to Karasuno's 18. This didn't look good. If the guys didn't do something it really would go to a tie-breaker third set.

"It's alright, it's alright! Just focus on the next rally and getting the lead back!" we heard Daichi-senpai encouraging his team, clapping his hands together.

The others agreed, and the next rally started with Kyotani-san's serve. At least, we didn't have to worry about him spiking again in this rally...

"Bring it on!" Tanaka-senpai yelled as the Seijoh number 16 spiked the ball over the net.

That moxie meant nothing in this case when Karasuno wasn't able to stop the force of Kyotani-san's spike, and their score went up to 22.

Once again we were at a dangerous gap in points, and with the set possibly three points away from being finished, things weren't looking good.

"During games, intangibles like mood and momentum play big roles. If a team is riding high or feeling low at the end of one set... that can carry over into and influence the beginning of the next. Right now, Seijoh has the advantage. We can't let them keep it. We need to find some way – any way –to come back and put them away for good!" Shimada-san said with a frown.

I nodded, furrowing my brows in worry.

"Uwah! Moeka-san, look!" Hitoka-chan gasped, tugging on my jersey's sleeve. I turned to have a look at what she was pointing out and gasped.

Yamaguchi-kun was getting switched in!

"Kyotani, give us another Service Ace!"

Kyotani-san was getting ready for his second serve, looking determined and focused.

"Daichi!" Asahi-senpai called out as Kyotani-san served, and Daichi-senpai reliably bumped the ball back up.

"Sorry, it's flying long...!" Daichi-senpai apologised as it went back over to Seijoh's side. Unfortunately, that was it for that rally, as Matsukawa-san spiked it back over, scoring point number 23.

"Oh no!" Hitoka-chan cried, wide eyed.

The next rally started and Kyotani-san served again. He was seriously on a roll!

But Tanaka-senpai was determined to stop him, and managed to catch the ball, bringing it back up. He let out a roar, excited to have caught it, as the ball went to Kageyama-kun.

He tossed the ball for Shoyo-kun, and he scored the point. I let out a breath of relief.

We were nowhere near in the clear just yet, still 4 points behind, but any point in our favour was a good one!

The referee blew a whistle, and we all turned our attention to where he was signaling.

"Looks like it's time!" I smiled, as Yamaguchi-kun held up his substitution card, set to switch in in Shoyo-kun's place. It was time for the pinch server to turn things around.

"Yamaguchi-kun, go for it!" Hitoka-san called out, cheeks pink.

"You can do it!" I smiled and joined in, encouraging Yamaguchi-kun.

If he could turn things around, this would do wonders for both Karasuno's situation, and for Yamaguchi-kun's self confidence!

"Server up!" the boys in the reserves all cheered out, deciding to join in with our cheerleading as Yamaguchi-kun stepped up to serve with rosy cheeks.

He smiled in thanks over to us, before focusing on the task at hand. He took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, before slowly breathing out, and nodding to himself.

And with that, he proceeded with the float serve. Hopefully, this time it would work out as intended!

It wobbled through the air as if it were floating, ambling over the net. Kyotani-san was watching it anxiously, as it wobbled by him, and their Libero made the call to not go after it, thinking it out.

To their surprise and our pleasure, it wobbled down to the ground and landed inside the line, scoring us our twentieth point.

"YESSSSSSSSS!" Yamaguchi-kun hissed out in pleasure at his success, as everyone else on our side cheered for him. Some people had to hold back the enthusiastic Noya-senpai and Shoyo-kun from running towards him from the reserves area, holding on for dear life.

I laughed lightly, and cupped my hands in front of my mouth, "Nice one!" I called out to him.

"Give them another...!" Hitoka-chan chimed after me. He grinned, his smile wobbly but pleased, and nodded in agreement.

"Jeez, why are you guys overreacting so much..." I barely heard Tsukishima-san say and did a double-take.

"Wha-?! Hey, quit it with your crappy attitu—" Tanaka-senpai began scolding the taller first year but was cut off.

"After all," Tsukishima-san continued, looking back at Yamaguchi-kun, "Yamaguchi's practiced serving the hardest out of all of us.

My mouth dropped open at his surprising, but vague compliment towards Yamaguchi-kun, but then I closed it, my lips curling into a small smile.

That was actually kinda nice of Tsukishima-san to say, even if he could have worded it more nicely!

Tanaka-senpai apparently thought so too, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders, punching him lightly in the side, to which the boy twitched.

"Yamaguchi, server up again!" called out Daichi-senpai and Yamaguchi-kun nodded, invigorated by his best friend's support.

His newfound confidence helped him, and Yamaguchi-kun's next serve bounced off of Kyotani-san's bicep, falling to the floor of the court and scoring us another point. Two more points and we would be tied with Seijoh...!

Kyotani-san cursed loudly, and glared at Yamaguchi-kun while Yamaguchi-kun was too distracted with celebrating his second Service Ace in a row. The others were pretty noisy too, so Seijoh's ire went unnoticed.

"Huh? What's going on? Is what he's doing that amazing?" Saeko-san asked, eyes wide.

"Tadashi-kun is doing what's known as a Jump Floater Serve. It's a ball that's hit in a way that gives it no spin. Jumping to hit it is what gives it its velocity." Shimada-san explained, as this was a serve he specialized in too, "But because the ball isn't spinning in the air, it will swerve and dip unpredictably. It's the same principle behind a knuckleball in baseball." He compared it to the more popular sport in Japan, and it seemed to do the trick.

Saeko-san 'oh'd in understanding.

"DO IT AGAIN, YAMAGUCHI!" Karasuno cried out, and Seijoh responded with a determined, 'Bring it on!'

Yamaguchi-kun jumped and served again, but this time he was cut off by Hanamaki-san, who tapped it with an overhand pass, sending it Iwaizumi-san's way.

The Ace spiked the ball with all his force, breaking by Karasuno's first line of guard, but Yamaguchi-kun dived to receive it, and it smashed painfully off his chest.

Hitoka-chan and I winced at what no doubt was a really painful receive.

Thanks to Kageyama-kun's quick movements afterwards, however, the ball went back up into play and Tsukishima-san was there to spike the ball, and he scored us another point by hitting it off Seijoh's guard at a great angle.

"Yes! A block out!" Shimada-san cheered.

"Man, that was a nice one there!" Takinoue-san grinned.

Tsukishima-san retrieved the ball and handed it to Yamaguchi-kun with a steady expression, "Server up again," he told his friend, and Yamaguchi-kun grinned, nodding.

And it was then, that Seijoh called their second time-out.

"Ah man, looks like they decided to forcibly stop his roll," Takinoue-san tsked, frowning.

Minutes later, the time-out was over, and it was time to see if it had affected Yamaguchi-kun's roll, so to speak. He got into position with the ball to serve again, looking determined to continue his streak.

The referee blew the whistle, signaling for him to go ahead.

And he did. The ball fluttered over the top of the net, and stopped short, falling straight down.

Seijoh's Libero dived to catch it, but just missed it, only able to watch as it hit the ground.

I gasped happily, my grin turning wide and unabashed, and I heard Hitoka-chan squeak happily beside me.

"Hitoka-chan," I glanced to her, smiling, "Yamaguchi-kun did it! He evened the scores!" I told her.

Red-cheeked, Hitoka-chan smiled widely and nodded in agreement, "With that point...we might be able to win!" she agreed.

The score now stood at 23 – 23. An even tie. The next play would be very important.

Could Yamaguchi-kun perform an even bigger miracle today?!

* * *

 **onigiriri: Hey hey hey, I managed to update much sooner this time! I hope you like this new chapter! Please comment if you can! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, too!**

 **Love you guys! x**


	53. 53 The Tie Breaker

**Disclaimer:** _Haikyuu_ is not mine. It is property of _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha_.

* * *

 **Chapter 53: The Tie-Breaker.**

"YAMAGUCHIIIIII!" the boys all hustled around Yamaguchi-kun upon his latest Service Ace, thrilled that thanks to the first year Pinch Server they had finally caught up with Seijoh.

Tanaka-senpai, Asahi-senpai and Daichi-senpai all scrubbed his head roughly, jostling it back and forth and he was helpless to stop until his senpai felt they'd done enough.

"Wow, that Let Serve thing happened with Wakunan as well! Tadashi sure is one lucky guy!" Saeko-san whistled, impressed.

Shimada-san shook his head, "No, that serve and this one are completely different beasts. During the Wakunan game, Tadashi was probably worried about whether or not his serve would be 'in'. Now, the only thing on his mind is where he wants to put it. It's that little bit of aggression that gave him his Let Serve." He explained.

Down on the court, Oikawa-san was rallying his team-mates, probably to make sure none of their feathers were ruffled by Yamaguchi-kun's Serving streak.

"That's my team for you! So level-headed they leave their poor captain feeling redundant!" I heard him say loudly, so I'm guessing that those feathers weren't ruffled in the least

'I kinda wish they were a little ruffled though', I thought with a pout.

But never mind. Now, it was time for Yamaguchi-kun's next serve. He threw the ball up, and did a run up to his jump, and spiked the ball.

This time, the ball was bounced back up by Iwaizumi-san, who sent it Oikawa-san, who sent it to Hanamaki-san to spike.

Tsukishima-san jumped in just in time to stop the spike's momentum, and the ball flew backwards and up.

"Yes! Nice one!" Yamaguchi-kun cheered for his friend, as Tanaka-senpai dove to send the ball back up again.

It wasn't in the best position to toss, so Kageyama-kun bumped it up again sending it up for Asahi-senpai, calling out his name as he did so.

Asahi-senpai jumped to spike, but Seijoh had a three-man block waiting for him. The ball bounced back to Karasuno's side from their wall of blockers, but unluckily for them, it backfired, and the ball landed out of bounds, giving the point to Karasuno instead.

"YEAAAAHHH!" Asahi-senpai clenched his fist and cheered.

Hitoka-san and I were doing a bit of cheering of our own, as were Takinoue-san, Shimada-san and Saeko-san.

Thanks to that play, Karasuno had the Match Point! If they could get just one more point in the next play, they would win the whole match!

"YAMAGUCHI, ONE MORE!" I heard Shoyo-kun and Noya-senpai yell out from the reserves area.

"Come on, Yamaguchi-kun...!" I said under my breath, clasping my hands together in a silent prayer, watching as Yamaguchi-kun threw the ball and did his run up.

The ball flew over the net, moving to fall close to the net, but Seijoh's Libero was there, catching it and sending it back up into play.

I bit my lip, watching as the ball went from the Libero, to Oikawa-san, and then to their Ace, Iwaizumi-san.

Yamaguchi-kun did his best to save it, but it bounced off in an unfortunate direction, and Seijoh got the point, thus tying up the points again and also ending Yamaguchi-kun's Service Ace streak.

That meant he had to be switched back out, trading positions with Shoyo-kun.

That was followed immediately by Noya-senpai switching in with Shoyo-kun, and the two shared a high-five as they passed, as if to pass the torch. Like Shoyo-kun was saying 'It's up to you now'.

With our Guardian Deity on the court alongside the captain, our defenses would significantly approve. Hopefully this'd be enough to win the second set.

Hanamaki-san was the next one up to serve, and Daichi-senpai successfully sent the ball back up from his forearms. From there, Kageyama-kun tossed the ball to Asahi-senpai, who successfully spiked the ball.

We'd reached the 25 point marker! But we had to grab another point in a row to create a two-point gap in order to win the set, since Aoba Johsai were only a point behind.

"YEAAAAH, DO IT!" the boys in reserve cheered, as the senpai on the court celebrated the point momentarily before continuing on.

It wasn't going to be that easy though. Of course it couldn't be.

Matsukawa-san returned the favour, scoring Seijoh's 25 point in response, followed by Tsukishima-san scoring a point in the following play. And then, Kindaichi-san scored the next point.

But this back and forth would probably come to an end, because now _he_ was stepping up as the next to serve the ball.

Oikawa-san...!

The score was 26 – 26. There was no room for a mistake here. Any mistake could mean the end of the second set coming with Seijoh's win, and then, we'd have to go to a third set.

Oikawa-san threw the ball up and ran up to perform his serve, and spiked it with great force.

Noya-senpai leapt in to action, managing to catch the ball. But it ended up flying up into the audience, obviously out of bounds.

Oikawa-san let out a roar of a cheer as Seijoh's points moved up to 27.

"Don't mind, Noya-senpai!" I called out, though my hands were clenched. With that play, things got more dangerous.

I saw Noya-senpai tsk, rubbing the sweat away from his forehead, and nodding in acknowledgement, though he kept his attention on the game at hand, running back in.

Asahi-senpai was also joining the serve-receive formation, as the positions rotated.

Oikawa-san stepped up again to serve, and sent the ball flying.

Daichi-senpai dove forward quickly to receive, successfully catching the ball and sending it back up.

Kindaichi-san was there, and tried dunking the ball down on Karasuno's side, but Tanaka-senpai caught it with his wrist, sending it up again for Kageyama-kun.

"Kageyama!" Asahi-senpai called out for the toss and the dark haired Setter sent it his way. He spiked the ball, and it hit the forearms of Hanamaki-san with considerable force, causing him to grunt out in pain, but ultimately get the ball back up.

Kyotani-san and Kindaichi-san both ran up to the net to jump and spike, and our team marked them accordingly.

Oikawa-san however caught the boys off-guard when he sent it back to Iwaizumi-san, who spiked and...

...scored Seijoh's set winning 28th point.

* * *

"Uwaaah, oh no...!" Hitoka-san cried quietly, putting her hands on her head.

I let out a sigh. It was disappointing that the win couldn't be an easy one, but really, who was I kidding.

This was Aoba Johsai, after all - 4th best in the prefecture. There was no way it would be that easy to beat them.

"It's not over yet!" I said, patting Hitoka-san encouragingly on the shoulder. She looked at me uncertainly, but nodded, adopting a slightly more confident expression.

Shimada-san nodded, "Right. Now's the time for the tie-breaking third set. They'll take it back here." He said.

"I mean, at this point they have to," Takinoue-san agreed.

"Daaammn, I never thought volleyball matches were this intense." I heard Saeko-san say as I felt someone tap my back with their finger.

I turned around and jumped in surprise to see it was Hatsumi-senpai who had tapped my shoulder, with Kaori-senpai at her side. They both had their bags on their shoulder and looked ready to go.

I'd totally forgotten they were even here!

"I-I'm sorry...!" I tried to apologise for accidentally snubbing them, but Hatsumi-senpai just grinned and shook her head, denying my apologies.

"No need to apologise for being so invested in your boyfriend's team, Moeka-chan~!" she said with a teasing tone. I flushed bright pink.

"Sh-Shoyo-kun's not my boyf-friend...!" I stuttered, embarrassed.

" _Yet,_ " Hatsumi-senpai interjected, with a wink. I just flapped my mouth open and shut, unable to make a comeback.

Kaori-senpai sighed out, "Ignore her. You go at your own pace. But whatever happens, with this match and otherwise, keep us up-to-date, okay? Call more often." She told me, and I nodded wordlessly.

"Um... are you guys going?" I asked them.

They both nodded, "We got a text from Kaname-kun a while back. He said that if we didn't get back to school soon, sensei said he was going to call our parents, and that'd be a nightmare!" Hatsumi-senpai explained.

"It'd be problematic." Kaori-senpai hummed in agreement.

"So we've gotta get going. Let us know how the match goes, and about everything else!" Hatsumi-senpai said and I nodded, blushing still.

We bid them farewell and turned back to the match, just in time for both teams coming back onto the court for the third and final set. How this set went determined who would be going to the final round, and who would likely be facing off against Shiratorizawa Academy.

The final set would start off with Karasuno's serve, and Asahi-senpai stepped up to do so.

The referee blew the whistle, and Asahi-senpai served the ball.

Kyotani-san caught Asahi-senpai's serve and sent it back up and Oikawa-san sent the ball their Ace.

Iwaizumi-san's spike was caught on the forearm of Daichi-senpai and unfortunately wasn't caught by anyone else. The first point inevitably went to Seijoh.

Now it was Oikawa-san's turn to serve again.

I'd hoped that Karasuno could cut off his streak before it began when Asahi-senpai caught Oikawa-san's serve and sent it back up but the ball ended up going back over the net instead, and Kyotani-san got in a lucky spike, scoring their second consecutive point.

Following that Tanaka-senpai returned the favour, his spike bouncing off Kyotani-san's block and then landing out of bounds, scoring Karasuno's point.

"WOOOOOOOOAAAA!" Tanaka-senpai yelled, adrenaline pumping, as the others congratulated him on a great Kill.

Kyotani-san seemed to take offense to that, and did the exact same thing in response in the following rally. Aoba Johsai were still two points ahead of Karasuno.

The game would continue to be tight for the next 5 to 10 minutes, both teams trading points, until the score came up to 7 – 6, in Seijoh's favour.

Of course, Asahi-senpai, who was next up to Serve, wasn't going to let it stay that way.

"Go get 'em Asahi!" Suga-senpai called to the team's Ace from the reserves wing, and Asahi-senpai nodded, his expression stoic and focused.

He threw the ball up and ran up to spike the ball, sending it soaring.

By the looks of it, since Seijoh's players didn't move to catch it, they had been anticipating an out of bounds landing, but Asahi-senpai managed to get the ball to land inside the line, tying up the points.

"Nice, Asahi-senpai!" I called, and Hitoka-san echoed my 'Nice!' as we both watched the boys yelling at each other like they always did. I think it's a guy thing.

The tie didn't last for long though, as Kindaichi-san scored a point in the next play.

And now it was Oikawa-san up to serve again. Was it just me or did the rotations really go this fast. It felt like Oikawa-san was always up to serve...this wasn't good for Hitoka-san's and my hearts...!

Luckily, Oikawa-san's serve skimmed the top of the net as it flew, slowing down its momentum slightly.

Tsukishima-san tapped the ball back over, hoping to catch them off guard, but Iwaizumi-san caught it, sending it to the right position for Kyotani-san to spike.

Tsukishima-san and Tanaka-senpai pulled together for a two-man wall, and managed to stop the spike in its tracks.

"They roofed it!" Takinoue-san and I cried in unison.

"Woah but did you see that?! Tsukishima and Tanaka switched places at the last second...! Did they read a line shot coming that time?!" Shimada-san commented.

If Tsukishima-san did that, that's impressive. I knew he was smart, but he seemed so calm it didn't feel like he was that into the matches that he'd noticed it. Maybe there's more to Tsukishima-san than I'd thought...

"Tsukishima, server up!"

The blonde Middle-Blocker went back to the edge of the court to perform his serve. Seijoh caught it, and Oikawa-san sent the ball to Kyotani-san.

But Kyotani-san not only avoided Karasuno's blockers but also the court altogether. With the ball landing out-of-bounds without having been touched by anyone else, the point was Karasuno's.

Not only that, but also, the lead was theirs.

"Yes...!" I gasped out happily.

Shimada-san gave a little laugh, "Looks like Tanaka has really gotten under that Number 16's skin," he said with a smirk, pointing out Seijoh's coach.

As we looked over to where Seijoh's coach was, we heard the referee blow his whistle. Seijoh's coach had called for a time-out.

* * *

"Kyotani!" Seijoh's Libero tossed to Kyotani-san, who jumped to spike the ball. But Shoyo-kun was able to block the ball, sending it back down to the ground and scoring Karasuno a second consecutive point.

Kyotani-san had seem really pent up before that, but he seemed to get even more irritated at that. He knocked away the Libero's arms when he tried to comfort him, resulting in Oikawa-san scolding him,

It didn't seem to work though, and Kyotani-san was quickly switched out for Kunimi-san, to let him cool off, I assumed.

I tried to return my attention to the match straight away, but something in Seijoh's reserves area caught my eye.

Kyotani-san and another of the players seemed to be arguing. Well, it was more like the other player was telling Kyotani-san off.

Suddenly, the guy slammed Kyotani-san into the wall with a thud and I raised my eyebrows. Judging from Kyotani-san's face as the other boy held him by the fabric of his jersey shirt; it was a surprisingly intimidating scolding.

Then, the other player abruptly let go of Kyotani-san and turned his back on him. He looked pretty frustrated.

I decided to turn back to the match, and saw that Kageyama-kun had just touched the ball after Oikawa-san tipped it over the net.

Noya-senpai took Kageyama-kun's place, tossing the ball for Tanaka-senpai, who made a great kill.

"YEAH! NICE KILL!"

I heard his teammates cheering for him, and glanced at the scoreboards to see how things were going so far. Karasuno had taken the lead, with 12 points to Seijoh's 10.

"Hm?" I heard Shimada-san hum in surprise, and glanced to him, "Looks like they're putting Number 16. That was quick! Seijoh probably decided to gamble on him again." He said, and I watched as indeed, Kyotani-san switched back in and Kunimi-san left the court.

The referee blew the whistle, and the next played with Tanaka-senpai's serve. He hit the ball and it flew over the net.

Oikawa-san caught it, tossing the ball to Kyotani-san, who spiked the ball with an intense expression and it ricocheted off of Daichi-senpai's forearm and flew out of bounds.

Seijoh gained a point, closing the gap in points to a one-point difference.

"YEAH, YEAH! KENTARO! DO THAT AGAIN, KENTARO!" Seijoh's supporters cheered out.

The next play followed immediately after, and Kyotani-san was up to serve.

Tanaka-senpai managed to catch it with a nice dig, sending the ball back up into play.

Shoyo-kun quickly ran up to the net and jump, as Kageyama-kun tossed the ball his way, and Shoyo-kun spiked.

But Seijoh's Libero caught it, and Oikawa-san proceeded to send the ball to Hanamaki-san, who easily scored a point.

Seijoh were all caught up in points, and each team had 12 points each.

"Server up, again, Kyotani!"

Kyotani-san made his second serve, which Noya-senpai saved. Kageyama-kun again sent the ball to Shoyo-kun, who spiked the ball but Iwaizumi-san caught the spike with a diving receive.

The ball flew back over onto Karasuno's side, and to Asahi-senpai's palm, as Daichi-senpai called out; "Smash it, Asahi!"

The ball smashed off of Seijoh's Libero's arms, and flew out of bounds, scoring Karasuno a point and letting them pull into the lead again.

It was then that the Referee called for the two teams to switch sides of the court, and everyone proceeded to rotate their things to the opposite sides of the court quickly. The others were congratulating Asahi-senpai on a nice kill as they did so, seeming quite cheerful, which was always a good thing.

* * *

Minutes later, the scores were tied up once again with a score of 15 -15, and it was Oikawa-san's turn to serve after Seijoh won the prior fifteenth point.

"Geh!" Saeko-san audibly winced in realisation of what this meant.

"It feels like I lose a year off my life every time Oikawa-kun comes up to serve." Shimada-san commented with furrowed brows.

"I think the same goes for the whole Karasuno team," Takinoue-san input.

I was busy trying to soothe Hitoka-chan, who was practically vibrating with nervous energy. I gently rubbed circles into her upper-back, keeping an eye on Oikawa-san as he prepared to serve.

I flicked my eyes over to where Shoyo-kun was waiting in the reserves, having been rotated out for Tsukishima-san on the previous turn. He seemed to be in the same state as Hitoka-chan, but rather than nervous fear, he must've been full of anxious energy, eager to get back on the court as soon as possible.

But alas he couldn't refuse to follow the rules of rotation present in Volleyball.

Daichi-senpai dived quickly to receive Oikawa-san's serve, successfully sending it back into the air; however, it was floating over to Seijoh's side again and their Libero was already in position and ready to bump the ball back up.

Both Kyotani-san and Kindaichi-san ran up to the net as the ball back up and moments later, Kindaichi-san was the one to score Seijoh's 16th point, allowing them to pull ahead of Karasuno.

"Oikawa, Server Up again!"

Oikawa-san made his second serve, and Noya-san dived and successfully intercepted it, and the ball came above Tsukishima-san.

Tsukishima-san jumped to the air and attempted to dump the ball and Kindaichi-san tried to stop him. There was a momentary battle between the two players' palms, before Tsukishima-san was able to slip the ball by Kindaichi-san and scored Karasuno's 16th point, ending Oikawa-san's serving streak early, thankfully.

"WHOO! THANKS TSUKISHIMA!" Noya-san loudly crowed, slapping Tsukishima-san hard on the back, and Tsukishima-san audibly grunted.

I chuckled a little under my breath, watching as Noya-san cheerily left the court and Shoyo-kun returned in his place. He joined Kageyama-kun's side, and it seemed like they were exchanging encouraging words, at least for a bit, before they returned to their usual casual banter.

It's hard to believe that it's only been half a year, and those two had gone from 'sworn enemies' to such close friends, though they probably wouldn't admit to that title. They turned out having more in common than they'd originally thought; mainly their shared passion for Volleyball, and it had really helped to forge their friendship and build their teamwork.

I could still remember when they got banned from the gym on the first day because they refused to get along, and had to face off against Tsukishima-san, Yamaguchi-kun and Daichi-senpai, alongside Tanaka-senpai. From there, not just the two of them, but all four of them have come along. Even Tsukishima-san had calmed down, though he didn't let up on his teasing; at this point, I figured that was just his personality.

It was all so promising. I knew that even next year they'd only get closer and closer, and I honestly couldn't wait to see it!

I shook my head to snap myself out of my sentimental thoughts, and refocused on the match.

Right now, what was most important was that they made it past Seijoh and on to the finals of these qualifying matches. This year was senpai's last chance for taking on Nationals, after all.

I hummed thoughtfully, briefly remembering Kindaichi-san's words; of course, Seijoh was in the same position when it came to that.

* * *

Kyotani-san spiked the ball, attempting to score a point, but his spike was caught by Tanaka-senpai who tipped the ball up and stopped its momentum, allowing for Karasuno to potentially steal the point.

"DEFLECTEEEEED!" Saeko-san enthusiastically cheered for her brother, pulling my left hand and Hitoka-san's right hand with a jerk and we both squeaked at the sudden movement and sound.

"Bring it heeeeeerre!" Shoyo-kun yelled out, running up to jump, as Saeko-san was lowering our hands. I breathed out in determination, through my nose, and thrust my hand still in Saeko's up again.

"SMACK IT DOWN!" I yelled out, surprising those around me, and coincidentally yelling the same words as Kageyama-kun as he tossed the ball to Shoyo-kun.

With swift movements, Shoyo-kun dashed to a spot with no people marking him and jumped; the ball hit his palm and he slammed it down to the ground with a loud bang, scoring the point.

I let out another cheer, my heart racing with excitement, and Saeko-san laughed at me, but not unkindly.

She grinned to me, nudging my shoulder playfully, and as I blushed at the teasing nudge she turned back to the match.

"That was incredible!" she said, though what she thought was incredible could be more than one thing.

I knew I shouldn't be embarrassed for supporting Shoyo-kun, but this stupid blush was persistent. I shook my head back and forth rapidly, trying to will my complexion to turn back to normal, and let out a breath, patting my chest lightly.

A smile spread across my face as I watched Tanaka-senpai scrub Shoyo-kun's head in a congratulatory manner.

The score stood at 17 – 16 in Karasuno's favour. This match was going into its last stages. The following minutes would shape the future of both teams for this year's Volleyball circuit. And many other things as well.

* * *

 **Onigiriri: Hope you liked the chapter! Next chapter will be the end of the Seijoh match and it'll be time for you-know-what! I hope you're all excited for it.**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	54. 54 Moment of Truth

**Disclaimer** : _Haikyuu_ is not my property. It belongs to _Haruichi Furudate, Weekly Shonen Jump_ and _Shueisha._

* * *

 **Chapter 54: Moment of Truth.**

The score stood at 17 – 16 in Karasuno's favour. This match was going into its last stages. The following minutes would shape the future of both teams for this year's Volleyball circuit. And many other things, as well.

Takinoue-san shook off his surprise at my recent outburst where I had cheered for Shoyo-kun, and grinned, "And with that we took the lead back!" he said happily.

"I-It's unbelievable! That hit landed in front of even the attack line!" Hitoka-san said, in awe.

Takinoue-san nodded, folding his arms with a smirk, "It's a shot you hit with just the snap of the wrist so it has no power at all, but nobody can get to where it lands in time. What I have to wonder is whether Kageyama actually did that on purpose or whether he just screwed up." He said and Shimada-san snorted.

"Well, either way, Hinata never was the type to be thinking on his feet to make that kind of play before—No offense." He abruptly turned to me to say. I flushed and waved my arms in denial. Why was he thinking I'd be offended...?!

Shimada-san continued, "He must've put a lot of time working with the ball to do that." He added, turning back to the match.

"He does," I agreed with him, "Shoyo-kun doesn't just practice at school. When I was over at his house to help him with studying his little sister told me he even practices against the wall outside his house in the evening." I informed them.

"Wow, that's amazing! A shot nobody can get, huh?! So why don't they jut do that every time?" Saeko-san asked.

Shimada-san sweat-dropped, "Wha?! No! If there are any blockers there, they'll eat a weak, close-range shot like that for breakfast!" he told her.

"Huh? Awww." She seemed disappointed.

"But, if they can shake the blockers like they did that time, then...!" Takinoue-san said.

I nodded, "Then Karasuno'll be the ones eating Seijoh for breakfast!" I finished for him and the two older men chuckled, agreeing.

Karasuno's boys came together for a group huddle and cheer, before separating and heading to their positions. Tsukishima-san went all the way back to begin his serve.

Tsukishima-san spiked the ball, sending it over, but the ball quickly found itself in Seijoh's possession; Oikawa-san tossed the ball, as three players all jumped up at the same time to get it.

Iwaizumi-san was the one who spiked the ball, shooting the ball beyond the first line of blockers at the net and scoring a point, tying up the points at 17 – 17.

From there, it was quickly taken over by Tanaka-senpai who scored Karasuno's 18th point, and equalized all over again by Seijoh's Hanamaki-san in barely a few minutes.

It was then that the referee blew the whistle, signalling for the rotation of players on Seijoh's side. Their Libero stepped off the court and Matsukawa-san replaced him, and then Kindaichi-san was substituted out with the player from earlier, wearing a number 6 jersey, who scolded Kyotani-san.

The one in the number 6 jersey was the next one up to serve, and he spiked the ball over the net with a grunt; Asahi-senpai was there to bump it back up and Kageyama-kun tossed the ball for Tanaka-senpai to spike.

Tanaka-senpai got the ball by Kyotani-san and Hanamaki-san, where it was bumped up by Oikawa-san. That left it up to Number 6 to set up the ball for a spiker.

Kyotani-san was there to take it, and spiked the ball past all blockers waiting for him. Not only that but he managed to score the point.

"YEAH, YEAH KENTARO! GET 'EM, GET 'EM KENTARO!" the supporters of Seijoh all cheered out in unison. Seijoh were only one point away from hitting 20 points.

Things had a possibility of getting ugly soon. Karasuno only had to never give up. They've been practicing like crazy, so they absolutely couldn't let this chance go to waste now!

Shoyo-kun jumped up to spike, after Noya-san had received Number 6's next serve and sent it to Kageyama-kun's palms.

Matsukawa-san jumped up to block him, but Shoyo-kun surprised everyone by tapping the ball lightly upwards over Matsukawa-san's fingertips. Number 6 was so surprised by the sudden change in tactics that he couldn't make it in time to receive the ball.

Shoyo-kun scored Karasuno's 19th point.

"Yes...!" I hissed quietly, grinning and clenching my fists.

The next play was an important one, one to determine who would hit the 20-points mark first. Asahi-senpai made the first attempt to tip the scales with his spike, but it hit off Kyotani-san's block and was quickly caught by Iwaizumi-san and then bumped up by Kyotani-san again, giving Hanamaki-san opportunity to spike the ball.

He was blocked as well by Daichi-senpai, but the play continued when Matsukawa-san saved it again. The ball flew back over to Karasuno's side of the court and Daichi-senpai dived to save the ball, and then it flew back over to Seijoh's side _again..._!

This time, Oikawa-san was there to toss it, and unfortunately, Matsukawa-san was able to bounce it off Kageyama-kun's receive and score the point, making Seijoh the first team to reach 20 points in the final set.

"Uwaaaa, oh no...!" Hitoka-san cried, holding her head.

"That's bad, right...?" Saeko-san asked.

"It's not over yet...!" I said, shaking my head vehemently.

And I was right. After Daichi-senpai served the ball for the next round, and then followed by successfully bumping up the ball that Kyotani-san spiked back, Kageyama-kun sent the ball to Tanaka-senpai who evened the scores once again.

"YEAAAAAAAHHHH!" both Tanaka-senpai, Kageyama-kun and well pretty much everyone on our side cheered.

The next rotation of players came, and Noya-senpai switched out for Tsukishima-san to go in, and Shoyo-kun _was_ going up to serve, but that plan changed.

Yamaguchi-kun was going onto the court as a Pinch Server again! I grinned, and glanced to Hitoka-san who was watching intently with a small smile. I decided not to say anything, and continued to watch the match as well.

Yamaguchi-kun threw the ball up and ran up, jumping and serving the ball. It looked like the boys on Seijoh's side were anticipating more of his Floater Serves, and prepared to tap it back up.

But when Kyotani-san went to attempt to do so, they were surprised to find that Yamaguchi-kun had switched things up; the ball was flying long this time and hit off of Kyotani-san's fingertips before continuing backwards.

"YEAH!" Saeko-san, Hitoka-san and I all cheered happily, but it was a premature celebration as Iwaizumi-san managed to dive to catch the ball before it landed, sending it back up into play.

However, he'd sent it straight back to Karasuno's side.

"Free Ball, Free Ball!" Tanaka-senpai announced to his teammates.

The ball was delivered to Kageyama-kun to set up, and Asahi-senpai, Tsukishima-san and Daichi-senpai all ran in to jump for a spike.

Asahi-senpai was the one who spiked the ball, and again, Iwaizumi-san dived and bumped the ball back up.

From there, Oikawa-san sent the ball to Hanamaki-san, who spiked; Yamaguchi-kun dived to catch the ball but wasn't in time to save it. Seijoh took the lead.

"Wow..." Hitoka-san said, awed at Seijoh's Ace, while Shimada-san and Takinoue-san tsked.

"He's really in the zone." I commented, agreeing with that sentiment.

It was a shame that Yamaguchi-kun's time on the court was cut short, and he had to switch back out for Shoyo-kun.

* * *

A few minutes later, and Seijoh and Karasuno had taken turns scoring points; the score for the third set currently stood at 22 – 23 in Seijoh's favour. It was getting really close now.

If Seijoh got two points in a row now, the game would be over and Karasuno's journey to Nationals would be over when they were so close...! I really hoped that wouldn't happen, but I was incredibly anxious, watching as Oikawa-san stepped up to serve the ball next.

"C'mon! BRING IT!" Noya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai yelled out, ready for whatever Oikawa-san would send their way.

But the play was over in a flash before most of us could even register; Oikawa-san spiked the ball directly to the inside of the court's corner, scoring Seijoh's 24th point – match point.

"No...!" Hitoka-san squealed, looking scared, as Ukai-san called for a Time-Out. The boys gathered by Ukai-san, Kiyoko-senpai and Takeda-sensei for a group meeting below us.

I leaned over the barriers of the stands down to them, and called out; "Take it right back, you guys can do it...!" I called down to the boys, trying to let them know we still had their backs even at this crucial moment.

They all looked up to us, and quickly grinned at me, nodding. Ukai-san glanced back at us, before turning to his players;

"I know things might look bad. Seijoh currently has the set and match point, but what's really important right now is keeping it in play and turning the game around." he explained.

Daichi-senpai seemed optimistic; "Guess we just have to be sure to bump it." He said with a shrug, capping his water bottle.

"Yep!" Noya-senpai nodded in agreement next to him.

Suga-senpai smiled, "Our assistant managers believe in us, so we can't well let them down now," he said, flashing his grin back at us before going towards Daichi-senpai and Asahi-senpai, slapping their backs roughly;

"Just get it up and we'll be fine! This will not be our last game." He added confidently. His fellow third years nodded with grim determination.

The time out ended and everyone got back on the court to continue the closing minutes of the game.

Oikawa-san got up again to serve, looking confident that this would be the serve that ended the match.

I furrowed my brow. That definitely couldn't become a reality. Wringing my hands together anxiously, I was laser focused on the court. Karasuno just had to win this match.

My confession to Shoyo-kun was riding on it...

But does them winning really have to be the thing that determines that...? I wanted him to know. I wanted him to know as soon as possible... but if they lost, it would be a terrible time to confess. I didn't want something like that to be soured...

"Ahh...!" Hitoka-san squeaked, a mix of joy and relief in her voice and I blinked. I must've zoned out. That's not good, especially at such an important time...!

"Wh-What happened?" I asked, looking over to the scoreboard. It looked like Karasuno had scored a point, but who saved us this time?

"In your own little world over there, Mogami-san?" Takinoue-san chuckled and I blushed.

"Sorry..." I mumbled bashfully.

Shimada-san shrugged, a small smile on his face, "Sawamura bumped Oikawa's serve back up, then Azumane scored the point." He explained simply. I nodded, resolving to refocus on the match.

I could think about how on earth I was going to put how I felt into words when the time game. For now, watching the boys beat Seijoh and go to the finals of the qualifiers had to be my priority.

The boys were making their next rotation, and as Tsukishima-san got up to serve, Noya-senpai stepped off the court and Shoyo-kun came back on.

And then, the referee blew his whistle, attracting our attention.

Instead of serving, Tsukishima-san was to be subbed out for Suga-senpai to join the others on the court.

"Ooh! Ooh! They're doing that tactical temporary six-two one-point Setter set again!" Saeko-san gasped.

"If they can't manage a break point here, it's game over. Come on guys... you can do it!" Shimada-san said.

"Of course they can do it!" I chimed in, and Hitoka-san nodded fervently.

"They'll pull this of just like they did in the second set... I hope." Takinoue-san said. Have a little faith, jeez.

I pursed my lips, keeping my eyes peeled on the court. This was the moment of truth. Could they turn the tides in their favour? Kageyama-kun seemed to be looking especially intense at the moment, almost glaring at Shoyo-kun, though I don't think he was aware of how his face looked at that moment.

"Suga-san, server up!" Tanaka-senpai called out as Suga-senpai got into position to serve.

"Here we go!" Suga-senpai called out, serving the ball.

Iwaizumi-san was there to bump the ball up, with their Libero nearby just in case. It was unneeded though as Iwaizumi-san easily sent the ball to Oikawa-san, who tossed the ball up for Kyotani-san.

Kageyama-kun jumped up, ready to block, and then out of nowhere, Shoyo-kun barreled into Kageyama-kun, also going to block. They knocked shoulders roughly, but thankfully managed to stay in position, blocking Kyotani-san's spike.

The ball flew backwards on Seijoh's side of the court and landed in bounds before their Libero was able to save it.

"WOOOOOAAAH HE BLOCKED 'IM!" the rest of Kageyama-kun and Shoyo-kun's teammates all yelled excitedly.

"HINATAAAAA!" "SHOOOYYYYYOOOO!" there were also exuberant yells and cheers from the reserves area.

"Well, he is a middle blocker. He's supposed to be able to, you know, block things." Tsukishima-san drawled, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but that was Hinata's first real block. He usually just manages to deflect the ball." Ennoshita-senpai reasoned.

I grinned. Regardless, Shoyo-kun and Kageyama-kun had worked together to ensure the points were now evenly matched. They had a real chance to win now if they kept it up and kept the ball off the ground on their side of the court.

"Suga-san, server up again!" Tanaka-senpai called out, sounding even more excited than the last time he said it.

Seijoh's Ace, Iwaizumi-san reliably reached Suga-senpai's serve in time to bump the ball back up and sent it to Oikawa-san, who sent the ball to Hanamaki-san this time. Kageyama-kun, unhindered by Shoyo-kun this time, managed to block the ball, but it was only deflected, and was going to land behind him.

"Front, Front, Frooooont...!" He yelled quickly, warning his teammates.

"I GOT IT!" Suga-senpai dived, sending the ball back up as he crashed chest-first to the ground. That looked like it hurt, but I doubted he was feeling that due to adrenaline; "Cover!" he yelled, as the ball went into Kageyama-kun's possession.

He tossed the ball, as Shoyo-kun, Asahi-senpai, Daichi-senpai and Tanaka-senpai all went in to jump.

In the end, Kageyama-kun did someone that surprised absolutely everybody, on the court and off.

Instead of doing the predictable thing and sending it to one of the four players running up to jump, he dumped the ball over the net himself.

Seijoh was caught so off guard that they couldn't catch the ball.

"Kage... Kageyamaaaaa!" another round of excited yelling rang out, and Hitoka-san and I both squealed, linking hands together in excitement.

"You little brat!" I just barely heard someone hissing out; I think it was Oikawa-san, but I couldn't bring myself to mind that. With that genius trick from Kageyama-kun, Karasuno had the lead with 25- 24! With just one more consecutive point, this match was over!

"Well, he got me. I was totally suckered into thinking that Sugawara getting the first touch meant no attack from Kageyama." Takinoue-san said.

"Yeah, me too." Shimada-san agreed.

"Not only that, but whenever Sugawara comes on he always seems to have some sort of trick up his sleeve. So you can't help but let him steal a little of your attention to see what he gets up to." Takinoue-san added and I smiled, nodding.

Suga-senpai really was a pretty amazing Setter. I only hoped there was more I could manage to learn from him before the year was up and he graduated. Maybe he would agree to give me some pointers after the qualifiers are over with...?

Both teams were currently in a time-out, one called by Seijoh who were obviously flustered by Kageyama-kun's devious play.

Karasuno's boys all got together for a group cheer, standing shoulder to shoulder in a circle and putting their hand in.

"Let's take the home win!" Daichi-senpai called out, and everyone replied with a cheer of "Goooo Karasuno!" before throwing their hands up enthusiastically. The players in the current rotation all returned to the court as the time out ended and it was time for the game to come to its final moments.

Suga-senpai quickly moved to make his third serve on the referee's signal, sending the ball flying over the net.

Iwaizumi-san dived to receive, sending the ball back up. As Kindaichi-san and Kyotani-san jumped up to spike the ball, Oikawa-san sent the ball to the latter.

Tanaka-senpai was there to receive Kyotani-san's spike with... his forehead?!

"Ouch...!" I gasped out, hissing in worry. A hit to the head is no joke, but it looks like he's all right.

Since Kageyama-kun had been the one to block Kyotani-san's spike unsuccessfully, he couldn't handle the ball in this play when it came to setting the ball up.

That meant it was time for he and Suga-senpai to switch roles.

Suga-senpai expertly set the ball up, tossing it back for Asahi-senpai to spike from the back.

Hanamaki-san dove and received the ball quickly, extending the rally, but maybe not for long, as the ball flew to the side of the court; it surely was going to land out of bounds.

But then, Oikawa-san was the one to shock us. He pointed to one side of the court, before speeding towards the side of the court to get the ball. He dove and turned around, switching to a Setting position mid-air!

"Whaaat..!?" I yelped, wide eyed and shocked as he successfully tossed the ball all the way to the other side of the court to Iwaizumi-san and then proceeded to crash into some tables and roll backwards, before quickly stumbling to his feet and rushing back onto the court.

I thought only Shoyo-kun got this crazy about catching the balls...!

Anyway, Iwaizumi-san managed to spike the ball with ease, but my heart nearly leapt up my throat as Tanaka-senpai barely managed to bump the ball back up, diving to receive it.

"Last touch! Keep it alive!" Tanaka-senpai yelled, as everyone went in to get the ball.

Asahi-senpai was the one to get the ball; spontaneously leaping upwards and spiking the ball back over the net.

Seijoh's Libero managed to catch it and the ball hit off the net. Kyotani-san caught it with his wrist, sending it up again with a loud grunt.

The ball was teetering between both teams' sides of the net, and Daichi-senpai yelled out, "Kageyama! Smash it!"

Kageyama-kun was there, and spiked the ball over quickly; but Kindaichi-san managed to block the ball, sending it bolting back onto Karasuno's side of the net and directly into Suga-senpai's forehead.

Can they please stop receiving the ball with their heads!?

Shoyo-kun quickly dashed backwards then took off running towards the net, "HEEEEERRRE!" he yelled out to Kageyama-kun, calling out for the toss.

All of Seijoh's best blockers and attackers lined up to stop Shoyo-kun from scoring the point; Iwaizumi-san, Kyotani-san, and Kindaichi-san; as Kageyama-kun tossed the ball Shoyo-kun's way.

It was the moment of truth, and it stole my breath away from me.

Shoyo-kun spiked the ball, sending it barreling through in-between Kyotani-san and Kindaichi-san's fingers, desperately trying to stop him, and it flew towards Oikawa-san's right-hand side.

He dove to the side with his forearms stretched out to receive but... it bounced off of them and backwards and fell to the floor with a light _bang_ , before rolling off to side.

It was like the sound had been put on mute, but in real life as everyone present took in what just happened.

And then, my face became hot, and my eyes began to well up. As I felt my tears slip past my eyelashes I sucked in a deep breath, ready to join in with everyone supporting Karasuno's side.

And I let it all out, wrenching my eyes shut as I did, "YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Karasuno had defeated Seijoh, the final score and match point standing at 26 – 24.

Karasuno were going to the finals of the qualifiers and would face off against Shiratorizawa Academy...!

Around me, Saeko-san was hugging Hitoka-san into her chest as the two of them yelled excitedly, and Takinoue-san and Shimada-san looked close to tears themselves.

Shimada-san glanced at me, and noticed the tears trailing down my cheeks; "Mogami-san... are you ok?" he asked concernedly.

I nodded, a wide grin spreading across my face as I rubbed the tear-tracks away; "I-I'm just so happy...!' I said, my heart banging against my chest in excitement.

My eyes were glued to Shoyo-kun, who was being enthusiastically scrubbed on the head and patted on the back by their overjoyed senpai, who were bawling unabashedly.

I breathed out, overwhelmed by the utter joy on Shoyo-kun's face, and uttered; "They did it...!"

A shaky smile spread across Shimada-san's face and he nodded in wholehearted agreement, "They sure did." he said confidently.

"That was amazing...!" Takinoue-san added.

Saeko-san blinked and turned to me from her hug with Hitoka-san to say; "Hey weren't you gonna confess to one of them if they won this match?" she said as if just remembering.

As she said it, and heat rushed across my cheeks in realisation, Shoyo-kun looked up from his teammates and straight at me, his own cheeks flushed from exertion and sweat dripping down his forehead.

It was if our eyes locked and we instantly understood one another. We made a silent agreement through our eyes, and both nodded, as my heart was racing in my ears.

I bit my lip, and answered Saeko-san's question, "Yes. I'll talk to him before we leave." I said softly.

This was it.

* * *

Shoyo-kun took me to a quiet area of the gymnasium, his bangs hiding his eyes, matted to his forehead still with the sweat. I watched him nervously, fiddling with my fingers.

"Um, Shoyo-kun, I actually had something to say as well," I told him.

"A-Ah, wait! I-I need to say mine first, or I'll never be able to do it! P-Please just give me a second...!" he said, waving his arms and turning to me. His cheeks were red.

I gulped quietly and nodded, not saying a word.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Shoyo-kun sucked in a breath and steeled himself;

"Did you see me...? I scored the winning point against Seijoh." He began and I blinked in surprise.

I nodded slowly, smiling at him, "I saw, Shoyo-kun. You were amazing. I'm so happy for you guys." I told him.

He ducked his head, flushed with pride, and mumbled only just loud enough for me to hear; "It was for you." He admitted.

I blushed a little, "Huh? What do you mean?" I asked him.

"I-I wanted to impress you; to prove to you and to myself that I was worthy of you." He said and I widened my eyes at the implications. Oh my gosh... It couldn't be... Is Shoyo-kun...?!

I didn't want to foolishly assume and hope, but could it be that it wasn't foolish at all...?

Shoyo-kun considered, grasping at the fabric of his shorts anxiously, as he spilled out his heart, "You've always been there for me ever since we met two years ago. I've always been super grateful for your support, you're very important to me." He said, his voice full of emotion, and I could tell he was being sincere;

Shoyo-kun looked up to me, blushing but determined,

"I knew I wouldn't have the courage to tell you if I couldn't win against that turnip head at least." He said.

Turnip head? Was he talking about Kindaichi-san...?!

"I like you." Shoyo-kun suddenly confessed, and my heart leapt to my throat, "I've liked you for over a year now. And I know you only see me as a friend, maybe like a brother... You're always looking after me so well. B-But I'm a man too! A-And I want to do things like, like holding hands, and going on d-dates... and to kiss you...! If you give me the chance, I could be your boyfriend. You're all I need, to feel like I can really do anything, so please, continue to support me and stay close to me...!" he said quickly and dipped into a deep, sincere bow. He'd been tripping over his words due to nerves, but he'd shown more courage than I could have ever mustered, in order to put everything out there like that.

My eyes welled up, dewy with emotion, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, waiting for him to stand back up, my heart racing in excitement. I could already feel a wobbly smile spreading across my lips, and has he finally stood up, I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around him and hiding my probably-bright-red face in the crook of his neck.

The smell of his sweat was noticeable, but I strangely didn't mind it.

I was too happy right now to care about something so small as that.

Shoyo-kun flustered in my arms, wriggling nervously, "Ah, w-wait I'm all sweaty, Moeka-san!" he gasped at me.

I grinned, shaking my head and staying put.

A newfound courage welling up within me, I opened my eyes and spoke, close to Shoyo-kun's ear,

"We can hold hands... and I-I'd love to go on dates with Shoyo-kun... a-and...! K-Kissing is ok too...!" I stuttered, blushing happily. Yeah. I wanted to do all of those things with Shoyo-kun too, definitely...!

I sighed out happily, feeling Shoyo-kun hesitantly put his palms against my shoulder blades; "R-Really...?" he asked breathlessly, and I felt him gradually relaxing in my hold.

I nodded into his shoulder, "Really. You beat me to it Shoyo-kun... I'd promised myself that when you guys beat Seijoh, that I'd tell you how I really felt..." I said softly, and he just listened, "I like you too, Shoyo-kun. For a while now," I said and slowly pulled back to try and look him in the eyes, "S-So... if you'll have me. I'd love to be your girlfriend." I told him.

Shoyo-kun turned red, eyes wide and mouth agape in shock and amazement. His happiness and surprise seemed to bubble over and he blurted out;

"I-I-I'm in your care...!" he said, an excited smile blossoming on his face, his brown eyes seeming to sparkle.

I chuckled happily, my cheeks bright pink. Shyly, as he stood smiling softly at me, I approached him slowly, and lightly pecked his cheek with my lips.

His face turned fire-truck red, but his wobbly smile was still there; "And I'm in yours...! We should catch up to the others," I said and offered him my hand demurely.

Shoyo-kun stared at it, and gulped nervously; with clammy hands he took my hand and we begin walking towards the front entrance to catch up with everyone else at the bus.

I gripped at Shoyo-kun's hand with mine, feeling a little shy; "If you and the others can beat Shiratorizawa Academy, we can maybe go on a date this weekend...?" I offered, averting my eyes nervously, before glancing back at him, only to see him nearly trip over nothing.

He looked at me with his mouth opening and closing as if he were a fish; I guess I caught him off guard with the sudden suggestion.

He looked so cute...!

"Really?! I-I mean yes! Of course! We'll totally beat them! And w-we'll go out on a d-date together...! It's a promise!" he said loudly and quickly, nodding his head rapidly. His eyes were blazing with excitement, and a newfound determination to win.

I smiled, believing in him one hundred percent, and nodded, "I can't wait...!" I said, squeezing his hand gently again.

After a brief moment, I felt him squeeze back, and saw a wide, confident smile settle on his face.

Tomorrow, he and the others would face off against Shiratorizawa Academy, and I have every faith that they'd win.

With Daichi-senpai and Noya-senpai's guard; with Asahi-senpai and Tanaka-senpai's attacking strength; with Tsukishima-san and Kageyama-kun's tactical smarts and skill; and with Shoyo-kun's grit and determination.

Shiratorizawa Academy wouldn't know what hit them...!

* * *

That evening, however, as we were getting ready to head home from school, I received a text from a surprise sender, asking to meet up nearby.

' _Kindaichi-san..._ '

What could he want to say?

* * *

 **onigiriri: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! 3 3 3** **I finally,** _ **FINALLY**_ **got to write the confession scene that I've been wanting to write since I started this story 2 freakin years ago...!**

 **I hope you like it! Shoyo and Moeka are now officially boyfriend and girlfriend! Ahhhh, i'm so happy! ;O;**

 **Please, please, please let me know what you thought of the confession in a review...!**

 **BTW, this confession, and the whole story leading up to it, was inspired by the song 'Skipping Grades/I could be your boyfriend' by Hinata's seiyu Ayumu Murase.**


End file.
